Kathmandu, March 28: In a decisive move just hours after being sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah has taken significant action. Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has been arrested in connection with the protests against the previous government, known as the Jan-Gi movement, which occurred last year. Alongside Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been detained by Nepal Police.
Following the arrests, current Home Minister Sudhan Gurung announced the news via a Facebook post, stating, “A promise is a promise.”
The Jan-Gi movement, which took place on September 8 and 9, 2025, was sparked by widespread protests against corruption and unemployment under the previous government. The demonstrations escalated into violence, resulting in numerous fatalities. In his Facebook post, Home Minister Gurung emphasized, “No one is above the law. We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and outgoing Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak into custody. This is not revenge against anyone; it is merely the beginning of justice. I believe the country is now heading in a new direction.”
According to The Himalayan Times, Oli was arrested at his residence in Gundu on Saturday morning. A police team had been attempting to apprehend him since the previous night. Ramesh Lekhak was also arrested from his home in Bhaktapur’s Kuntunje.
The police have charged both Oli and Lekhak with involvement in the Jan-Gi movement, which resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals on September 8. This marks the first time in Nepal’s history that a Chief Executive has been detained on murder suspicions. Previously, former Prime Ministers had not been arrested in connection with criminal investigations, although they were sometimes monitored by police during political events and protests.
A report from the investigation commission, made public just three days ago, indicated that former Prime Minister Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former Inspector General of Police Chandrakuber Khapung, and others were suspected of violating Section 182 of the Criminal Code of 2017.
Within hours of Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s swearing-in, a cabinet meeting decided to implement the investigation commission’s report led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which excluded security personnel from any charges.
Before confirming the cabinet’s decision, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung instructed the police to investigate the events of September 8. Subsequently, Law Secretary Parshwor Dhungana spent the night drafting necessary discussions to implement the commission’s report.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
Leave a Comment