KATHMANDU – In a significant development that has sent shockwaves through Nepal’s political landscape, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested on Saturday on charges related to a violent government crackdown on protests last year that left more than 70 people dead. The arrest marks the first time a former head of government in the country has been detained in connection with actions taken during their tenure.
The arrest, which also saw former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak taken into custody, follows a recommendation from a high-level investigative panel that found the pair culpable of criminal negligence in their handling of the civil unrest. The protests, which erupted in September, began as a reaction to a government-imposed social media ban but quickly escalated into a broader uprising fueled by deep-seated public anger over systemic corruption, widespread unemployment, and a deteriorating economic crisis that has seen the nation grapple with inflation and a shortage of essential goods.
According to police officials, the arrests were carried out in the early hours of the morning. “They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law,” said Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari, confirming the detentions to Agence France-Presse. As of Saturday evening, neither Oli, 74, nor Lekhak, 62, had been formally charged, though they remain in custody as investigators review the commission’s findings and prepare a formal case.
The September uprising stands as one of the deadliest episodes of civil unrest in Nepal’s modern history. Witnesses and reports from the time describe chaotic scenes in Kathmandu and other major cities, where security forces were deployed en masse to quell demonstrations. More than 70 people lost their lives, with a significant number of the victims succumbing to gunshot wounds inflicted by police during confrontations. The government’s initial response, which included a near-total blackout of internet and social media services—a key tool for organizing and communication—was intended to stifle the movement but instead served to galvanize a public already seething over the government’s perceived ineptitude and corruption.
The commission appointed to investigate the unrest submitted its report last month, concluding that the use of lethal force was excessive and disproportionate. In its findings, the panel not only recommended the prosecution of Oli and Lekhak but also called for the arrest of former police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung, citing a chain of command that failed to prevent the tragedy. The report’s recommendations were a primary catalyst for the political crisis that ultimately led to the dissolution of the previous government.
The arrests come just one day after a momentous political transition: the swearing-in of the nation’s new prime minister, 35-year-old Balen Shah. A former rapper and independent candidate who rose to fame as a symbol of anti-establishment sentiment, Shah’s ascent to the premiership was fueled by the very same public outrage that ignited the September protests. His election, triggered by the collapse of the previous administration in the wake of the crisis, represents a dramatic generational and ideological shift in Nepali politics. Shah has vowed to prioritize accountability and reform, and his administration has signaled its intention to move forward with the commission’s recommendations without political interference.
Oli, a veteran politician and leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), has consistently rejected the commission’s findings. In a previous interview with the Annapurna Post, he characterized the investigation as a politically motivated attack, stating it amounted to “character assassination and hate politics.” His legal team has already begun challenging the detention, with his lawyers telling Reuters that the arrest was procedurally unwarranted at this stage of the investigation and arguing that a figure of his stature should have been given an opportunity to respond to the commission’s findings before any detention was enforced.
The arrests have polarized the nation. Supporters of the new prime minister have gathered in small groups outside the police headquarters, holding placards that read “Justice for the 70” and applauding the move as a long-overdue step toward dismantling a culture of impunity. Conversely, dozens of Oli’s supporters staged a protest nearby, decrying the arrest as a politically motivated vendetta by a new administration seeking to settle old scores.
As the legal process unfolds, the situation remains tense. The government has urged calm while asserting that the rule of law will take its course. The coming days are expected to be critical, as the investigation moves toward formal charges and the nation watches to see if the new leadership can deliver on its promise of accountability without further inflaming the deep political divisions laid bare by the tragedy.
