Ex-Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli Arrested in Connection with Violence in the Gen Z Protest

Ex-Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli Arrested in Connection with Violence in the Gen Z Protest

Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been arrested by the Nepal Police on Saturday in connection with the violence in the Gen Z-led protests last year. This is a major shift in the political landscape of Nepal.

Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been arrested in the same case. The arrest of the duo is in connection with the case of culpable homicide in the violent crackdown on the protests, which claimed the lives of more than 70 people, including 19 young people who were part of the protest.

“They were arrested this morning, and the process will move forward according to the law,” Om Adhikari, the spokesperson for the police in the Kathmandu Valley, told AFP.

The Arrest of KP Sharma Oli Comes a Day After the Swearing-in of the New Nepal PM

The arrest of the former Nepal PM comes just a day after Balendra Shah took the oath of office as the new PM of Nepal following the recently concluded polls.

Just after the arrests, newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung stated, “A promise is a promise. No one is above the law.” He further stated, “The arrests are not about retribution; it’s about accountability.” He added, “The arrests are the beginning of justice, and it may be a turning point for the nation.”

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Oli Calls Arrest ‘Vindictive’
Oli, on the other hand, denied all the charges against him, calling his arrest politically motivated.
“I will fight the legal battle,” he told reporters shortly after his arrest.

The case refers to the nationwide protests that began last year on September 8-9. The protests began as a response to the temporary banning of social media in the country.
The protests have since escalated to the point where parliament and government buildings have been set on fire. This has ultimately led to the fall of the Oli government.
The government crackdown on the protests prompted the formation of a high commission of inquiry. The commission established that there is no evidence of the government ordering the security forces to shoot. However, the commission established negligence on the part of the government in failing to control the protests. This is evidenced by the fact that even minors were killed in the protests.

In the wake of the election victory of Balendra Shah, the new government has taken rapid action. At the first Cabinet meeting of the new government, it was decided to follow the recommendations of the commission, which include a sentence of up to 10 years in prison for those who are found guilty, including Oli and Lekhak.

In addition to these politicians, the report also recommends action against several top officials of the government, including the previous chief of the Nepal Police, Chandra Kuber Khapung.

A Period of Political Flux
In the wake of the protests in Nepal, the country was briefly placed under an interim government headed by a previous chief justice named Sushila Karki.

The arrests mark a new period in the political transition of Nepal, with the current government continuing with the investigations of the violence of last year.