Kathmandu — The newly formed government led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has arrested former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, holding him accountable for the deaths of 19 students during the September 8–9 protests, last year. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
The arrests follow the submission of a report by an investigation panel led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which was formed to probe the protests. The panel concluded that Oli and Lekhak were responsible for the fatalities, citing their failure to take timely action to bring the situation under control.
Oli’s party, the CPN-UML, has strongly condemned the arrests, alleging that the government did not follow due legal process. The party has launched nationwide protests and questioned the impartiality of the investigation commission. It has also demanded the formation of a new panel to re-investigate the events of September 8–9.
Meanwhile, other political parties have called on the government to ensure due process and maintain fairness and transparency in the case. Within the Nepali Congress, two factions—one led by Gagan Kumar Thapa and another by Purna Bahadur Khadka—have issued separate statements regarding the commission’s findings.
