JAKARTA - Nepalese authorities on Saturday (28/3) arrested former Prime Minister (PM) K. P. Sharma Oli and former Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Ramesh Lekhak for alleged criminal negligence related to the deaths of a number of young demonstrators in September 2025.
"Promises are promises. No one is immune from the law," wrote Sudanese Minister of the Interior Gurung on Facebook, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu.
"The former prime minister and the former home minister have been arrested," he continued.
Gurung, who was involved in the mass protest, said the arrest was not a form of revenge.
"This is just the beginning of justice. I hope this country will move in a new direction," he said.
Oli is the chairman of the Communist Party of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), while Lekhak is a senior leader of the Nepali Congress.
Dozens of police were deployed to Oli's residence in Bhaktapur after a cabinet meeting on Friday decided to follow up on a Judicial Commission report on last year's Gen Z protests.
The commission, headed by Gauri Bahadur Karki, recommended an investigation into Oli, Lekhak, and Police Chief Chandra Kuber Khapung for alleged criminal negligence and the death of the demonstrators.
A number of UML supporters clashed with police outside Oli's residence, but the police managed to disperse the crowd at the main gate and then arrested the ousted former PM.
The cabinet meeting also decided to implement the recommendation and form a committee to study the security officials suspected of being involved in the shooting, after the appointment of Balendra Shah as PM.
The UML and Nepali Congress leaders considered the report incomplete and biased.
UML held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and is expected to announce a protest.
"This is a form of prejudice and revenge against us," said UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet, urging party cadres to take to the streets.
At least 25 demonstrators, mostly young people, were killed and 700 others were injured last September when protests spread after the banning of a number of social media.
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