Nepal’s former leader arrested over deaths during Gen Z protests

Story by Reuters

(Reuters) — Nepal’s former prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was arrested ​on Saturday as police investigate whether he was negligent in ‌failing to prevent dozens of deaths during Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September, officials said.

His home minister, Ramesh Lekhak, was also arrested.

They were taken ​into custody one day after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in ​as prime minister and after a recommendation last week by ⁠a Nepali panel investigating violence during the protests that they should ​be prosecuted for negligence.

A total of 76 people were killed in ​two days of unrest, which led to Oli resigning.

Police spokesman Om Adhikari said both Oli and Lekhak were being detained at the Kathmandu Police Office and ​would be produced before the court on Sunday, a working ​day in Nepal.

“We have arrested them as per the recommendations made by the ‌investigation ⁠commission,” he said.

Oli, 74 and who has had two kidney transplants in the past, was subsequently transferred to a hospital from the police office, witnesses said.

His lawyer Tikaram Bhattarai told Reuters that the ​arrest was unwarranted.

“They have ​said it (the ⁠arrest) is for investigation. It is illegal and improper because there is no risk of him fleeing ​or avoiding questioning,” he said.

Lekhak and his lawyer ​could not ⁠be immediately reached for comment.

The panel held Oli responsible for not taking any action to stop hours of firing that killed at ⁠least 19 ​Gen Z protesters on the first ​day of the demonstrations.

Anger over the deaths helped sweep Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party to a ​landslide election win this month.

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