Ex-Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli arrested over last year's deadly crackdown on protesters

Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested on Saturday, March 28, over his alleged role in last year’s deadly crackdown on protests. Oli was taken into custody from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, by Nepal Police.

The arrest comes a day after Balendra Shah was sworn in as the country’s new Prime Minister. The rapper-turned-politician was sworn in as Prime Minister on Friday after winning the March 5 parliamentary elections.

Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also detained in connection with the case. Confirming the arrests, Kathmandu Valley police spokesperson Om Adhikari stated that both leaders were taken into custody and that legal proceedings would follow in accordance with the law.
“They were arrested this morning, and the process will move forward according to the law,” Adhikari said as quoted by AFP.

#WATCH | Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli taken into custody from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, by Nepal Police.

According to the Kathmandu Post, “he has been arrested in connection with a culpable homicide-related case linked to the alleged suppression of the… pic.twitter.com/S0zrAmPUFV

— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2026

Soon after the arrests, newly appointed Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung emphasised the government’s commitment to justice, declaring that “no one is above the law.”

In a social media post, he wrote, “PROMISE IS A PROMISE: No one is above the law. 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. I believe that now the country will take a new direction.”

Oli dismissed the charges, claiming he had been arrested “vindictively.”

“This arrest is vengeful and prejudiced. I will fight a legal battle against this,” he told his lawyers.

The arrests are linked to the violent anti-corruption protests that erupted in September last year, led largely by youth activists. The unrest, initially triggered by a brief social media ban, quickly escalated into a nationwide movement fuelled by public anger over corruption and economic hardship.

More than 70 people, including at least 19 young protesters, lost their lives during the violence, with several government buildings set ablaze. The crisis ultimately led to the collapse of Oli’s government.

Following the upheaval, an interim administration led by Sushila Karki, Nepal’s first female chief justice, was installed and widely credited with stabilising the country during a fragile transition period.