Former Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli Sharma Arrested Over Gen Z Protest Massacres

Kathmandu: Nepalese police have arrested former Prime Minister K P Oli Sharma, who is accused of being involved in the massacres during the Gen Z protest in Nepal. He was taken into custody from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, early Saturday morning. Along with him, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been arrested.

The charges against them include criminal negligence in suppressing the youth protest that took place last September, as well as complicity in the murders.

The arrests are part of the implementation of the report from the inquiry commission headed by former Special Court Chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki. Charges of murder and criminal negligence have been filed. Despite the police continuing to fire on protesters for four hours, neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister intervened to stop the violence.

This led to the deaths of several individuals, including minors. Legal experts state that if found guilty, they may face up to 10 years in prison.

The protest erupted when the Oli government banned 26 social media apps, including WhatsApp and Facebook, in September 2025. The students and youth who took to the streets against nepotism and corruption quickly turned the protest into an anti-government movement. During the protest, 76 people were killed, and the Oli government was toppled. Oli supporters claim that the arrests are a political vendetta.