Kathmandu, March 28, 2026 — Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested Friday morning at his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, in connection with last year's deadly anti-corruption youth protests that left over 70 people dead and ultimately brought down his government.
Nepal police also took former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak into custody in the same operation. "They were arrested this morning, and the process will move forward according to the law," Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari confirmed.
The arrests came just one day after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal's new Prime Minister. Shah's first Cabinet meeting on Friday had resolved to immediately implement the findings of a high-level commission that investigated last year's unrest — findings that specifically recommended up to ten years' imprisonment for Oli and Lekhak for negligence during the crisis.
Newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung made clear the government would move swiftly. "We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and outgoing Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak under control. This is not revenge against anyone; it is just the beginning of justice," he wrote on X, adding: "A promise is a promise — no one is above the law."
Oli pushed back against the action, calling his arrest politically motivated. "I have been arrested vindictively," he told reporters. "I will fight the legal battle."
The protests that triggered the political upheaval erupted on September 8 and 9 last year, initially sparked by a brief government-imposed social media ban. They quickly grew into a broader expression of public fury over economic hardship and entrenched corruption. As demonstrations spread nationwide, parliament and government offices were set ablaze. At least 19 of those killed were young people.
The commission's report stopped short of establishing that a direct order to open fire had been given, but concluded that senior officials — including Oli and Lekhak — made no meaningful effort to halt the violence. "Due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives," the report stated.
Following the collapse of the Oli government, Nepal's first female Chief Justice, Sushila Karki, came out of retirement to lead an interim administration, a tenure widely seen as a stabilizing chapter in the country's fragile democratic history. Her leadership paved the way for the parliamentary elections that brought Balendra Shah to power.
The probe commission also recommended action against then Inspector General of Nepal Police, Chandra Kuber Khapung, along with several other senior officials.
Friday's arrests signal a sharp new direction for Nepal's government — and a decisive test of whether accountability can take hold in a political system long marked by impunity.
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