Nepal govt cracks down on former PM KP Sharma Oli over death of 77 people during 2025 regime change operation: Here is what we know so far

Former PM of Nepal KP Sharma Oli (Image via Telangana today)

Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was detained on Saturday, 28th March in connection with an investigation into the violent ‘Gen Z protests’ that took place last year and resulted in 77 deaths. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been detained in connection with the case.

Police said the action was taken after the recommendation of an inquiry panel that looked into the violence during the protests. The commission, headed by a former Special Court judge, Gauri Bahadur Karki, found that the leadership at the time failed to act in time to stop the situation from escalating. About 76-77 people were killed during the two days of unrest, including at least 19 protesters on the first day when firing continued for hours.

According to police spokesperson Om Adhikari, both leaders are currently in police custody at the Kathmandu Police Office and will be presented before the court. Shortly after his detention, Oli was shifted to a hospital since he is 74 years old and has a history of kidney transplants.

The arrests come a day after Balendra Shah was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal. The party that Balendra Shah belongs to, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, received strong support during the recent elections following the deaths of protesters.

In response to this, the current Home Minister, Sudan Gurung, stated, “The act has been taken in the interest of delivering justice, not revenge.” He further stated, “Nobody is above the law, and we are committed to delivering justice by holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”

It has been stated that the charges against them include excessive use of force and failure to contain the violence during the protests held in September last year.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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