Kathmandu: Nepal’s former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his former Home Minister, Ramesh Lekhak, were taken into police custody Saturday morning in connection with a lethal crackdown on demonstrators during a major uprising last September.

Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari confirmed the arrests, stating that the "process will move forward according to the law."

The high-profile detentions occurred just one day after the inauguration of Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his new cabinet. Shah’s government was formed following the first general elections held since the 2025 "Gen Z" revolt that brought down the previous administration.

The September Uprising

The unrest was ignited on Sept. 8 and 9, 2025, initially sparked by a government ban on various social media platforms. The movement quickly expanded into a nationwide anti-corruption and economic protest fueled by long-standing frustrations over youth unemployment and government mismanagement.

According to official reports, at least 77 people were killed during the two-day surge of violence. The initial day of the crackdown alone resulted in the deaths of 19 young people. As the protests intensified, government offices and the parliament building were set on fire, leading to the total collapse of Oli's government on Sept. 9.

Findings of Negligence

A government-commissioned investigation into the fatalities recommended that the 74-year-old former prime minister and other high-ranking officials face prosecution.

While the report noted that it was "not established that there was an order to shoot," it concluded that "no effort was made to stop or control the firing and, due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives." The inquiry characterised the failure to prevent human casualties as a gross dereliction of duty by the executive branch.

A "New Direction"

The arrests were hailed as a milestone for accountability by the newly appointed Home Minister, Sudan Gurung, who rose to political prominence as a key figure during the youth protests.

“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,” Gurung posted on Instagram following the operations.

Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old former structural engineer and rapper, secured a landslide victory in the March 5 elections, campaigning on a platform of reform and justice for the victims of the 2025 uprising.

With inputs from AFP