KP Sharma Oli: Nepal’s former prime minister arrested over alleged role in deadly protest crackdown

Original article by Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent

Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested early on Saturday morning over his role in the deaths of dozens of people who took part in the gen Z protest that toppled his government last year.

Police detained the three-time former prime minister at his residence in the capital Kathmandu, and also arrested his former home affairs minister Ramesh Lekhak.

The arrests came less than 24 hours after Nepal’s new prime minister, Balendra Shah, and his cabinet were sworn into office. Shah, a former rapper turned politician known widely as Balen, won a landslide victory this month with a campaign that promised justice for the killings that took place during the gen Z uprising last year and to crack down on corruption.

There were 19 protesters killed when police opened fire on youth-led protests that erupted in September last year, in response to a social media ban and rising frustration over corruption and nepotism in politics.

The unrest spread nationwide the following day as parliament and government offices were set ablaze, killing dozens more and resulting in the government’s collapse.

In the aftermath, there has been growing pressure for Oli and his home affairs minister, who are alleged to have ordered the police crackdown, to be held responsible for the deaths.

Newly appointed home affairs minister Sudan Gurung announced their arrests on social media. “No one is above the law. We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak under control,” Gurung said. “This is not revenge against anyone, it is just the beginning of justice.”

Several trucks of police officers in riot gear conducted the arrests at the men’s homes before taking them to the Kathmandu district police office.

Oli, who is 74 and suffers from kidney issues, was reported to have been taken to a hospital after his arrest. His lawyer, Tikaram Bhattara, told Reuters that the arrest was not in compliance with legal standards. “They have said it is for investigation. It is illegal and improper because there is no risk of him fleeing or avoiding questioning,” he said.

Their detention comes after a government-backed report into the deadly uprising was leaked. The investigation had recommended that Oli, Lekhak and the chief of police at the time of the protests face a punishment of 10 years in prison for their alleged role in the crackdown.

The report said that it was “not established that there was an order to shoot”, but alleged that “no effort was made to stop or control the firing and, due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives”.

Police spokesperson, Om Adhikari, confirmed the arrests were as a result of the report. “We have arrested them as per the recommendations made by the investigation commission,” he said.

Shah’s election as prime minister, which saw him resoundingly defeat Nepal’s veteran leaders, was seen as a triumph of the gen Z protests and a rejection of the old political establishment, which had become tarnished with allegations of corruption.

The former rapper, who is a sharp dresser and rarely seen without his sunglasses, had released a new track on the eve of his inaugurations, in which he pledged to bring “unity” to Nepal.

“My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise,” rapped Shah, in a video that was viewed more than two million times in its first 24 hours. “May my breath not run out, I will run like a leopard.”