Nepal's Former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli Arrested Over 2025 Protest Deaths

Nepal's former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli was arrested at his residence in Kathmandu on Saturday, March 28, 2026, as police investigate whether he was negligent in failing to prevent dozens of deaths during anti-corruption protests last September. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was taken into custody at the same time. The arrests follow a recommendation this week from a government-appointed panel that investigated the violence during the so-called "Gen Z" uprising, which left at least 76 people dead over two days of unrest on September 8 and 9, 2025. Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari confirmed both detentions, stating that legal proceedings would follow. Min Bahadur Shahi, a senior leader of Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), told Reuters that officers came to Oli's home that morning. Oli, 74, had served three terms as prime minister before resigning under pressure following the deadly crackdown.

Panel found no shoot order, but minors still died The government-backed investigation panel concluded that while no direct order to open fire on protesters was established, officials made no effort to stop or control the shooting. The report specifically noted that the negligent conduct of those in authority resulted in the deaths of even minors. According to The Guardian, at least 19 young people were killed on the first day of protests alone, out of a total of at least 77 deaths across the two-day uprising. The unrest began over a brief social media ban but quickly drew in widespread anger over economic hardship and corruption. As protests spread nationwide, parliament and government buildings were set ablaze, ultimately causing the collapse of Oli's government. The panel's recommendation for prosecution this week directly triggered the arrests carried out on Saturday. „They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law” — Om Adhikari via Deutsche Welle

Nepal has experienced persistent political instability over the past decade, cycling through numerous governments and prime ministers. K.P. Sharma Oli served three separate terms as prime minister — from 2015 to 2016, from 2018 to 2021, and again from 2024 until his resignation in September 2025. The September 2025 protests, which became known as the "Gen Z" uprising, were among the deadliest episodes of civil unrest in Nepal in recent years, drawing comparisons to youth-led protest movements seen elsewhere in Asia. The demonstrations initially erupted over a government-imposed social media ban before expanding into a broader challenge to the political establishment over corruption and economic conditions.

New prime minister sworn in just one day before arrests The arrests came just one day after Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal's 40th prime minister on Friday, March 27, 2026. Shah, a structural engineer and former rapper popularly known as Balen, won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections held on March 5, 2026, making him one of the most unconventional figures to lead the country. He previously served as mayor of Kathmandu before entering national politics. Sudan Gurung, a key figure in the September 2025 protests, was appointed as the new Home Minister in Shah's cabinet. Gurung addressed the arrests directly after they were carried out, framing them as a matter of legal principle rather than political retribution. „No one is above the law ... This is not revenge against anyone, just the beginning of justice. I believe now the country will take a new direction” — Sudan Gurung via The Guardian

Oli faces negligence charges as new era begins in Kathmandu The simultaneous timing of a new government's formation and the arrest of its predecessor marks a sharp political rupture in Nepal. Oli, who had been one of the country's most prominent communist politicians for decades, now faces prosecution on charges of negligence connected to the deaths of dozens of citizens under his administration. 76 (people killed) — deaths during two-day Gen Z protest crackdown, September 2025 The investigation panel's findings stopped short of alleging that Oli personally ordered the use of lethal force, but determined that his failure to intervene constituted negligent conduct under the law. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak faces the same legal process, as the minister directly responsible for internal security during the crackdown. The proceedings against both men are expected to continue in the coming days, according to police. The case is being closely watched as a test of whether Nepal's new political leadership can deliver on its anti-corruption mandate.

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