Nepal police arrest former prime minister and former home minister over September protest deaths

Nepal-police" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="36616" data-entity-type="organization">Nepal Police arrest former prime minister and former home minister over September protest deaths 1 of 4 | Former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli is taken for procedural medical checkup after he was arrested by police in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) 2 of 4 | FILE -The then newly elected Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli greets after the oath of office in President residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, July 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File) 3 of 4 | Leaders of Nepal Communist Party’s (Maoist) Krishna Bahadur Mahara, left, Nepal-congress-party" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="72399" data-entity-type="organization">Nepal Congress Party’s Ramesh Lekhak, second left, and Nepal Communist Party’s (Unified Marxist Leninist) Nepal" class="entity-link entity-person" data-entity-id="72397" data-entity-type="person">Pradeep Nepal come out after a meeting of Nepal Cabinet ministers with the election commissioner, in Katmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi,File) 4 of 4 | Khadga Prasad Oli, left, the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal leaves his residence to meet his supporters after being appointed as Prime Minister, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha,File) 1 of 4 Former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli is taken for procedural medical checkup after he was arrested by police in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 4 FILE -The then newly elected Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli greets after the oath of office in President residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, July 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 4 Leaders of Nepal Communist Party’s (Maoist) Krishna Bahadur Mahara, left, Nepal-congress-party" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="72399" data-entity-type="organization">Nepal Congress Party’s Ramesh Lekhak, second left, and Nepal Communist Party’s (Unified Marxist Leninist) Nepal" class="entity-link entity-person" data-entity-id="72397" data-entity-type="person">Pradeep Nepal come out after a meeting of Nepal Cabinet ministers with the election commissioner, in Katmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi,File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 4 Khadga Prasad Oli, left, the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal leaves his residence to meet his supporters after being appointed as Prime Minister, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha,File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Kathmandu, Nepal (AP) — Police in Nepal arrested former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli early Saturday over the deaths of dozens of people during violent protests in September that toppled the government and resulted in new elections.Authorities arrested the powerful communist leader at his residence on the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu. They also arrested Ramesh Lekhak, the former home minister who has been accused of ordering authorities to fire on protesters.Home Minister Sudan Gurung announced the arrests on social media. “No one is above the law. We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak under control,” Gurung said. “This is not revenge against anyone, it is just the beginning of justice.”An investigation by a commission set up by the government called for punishment of up to 10 years in prison for Oli, Lekhak and the chief of police at the time of the protests. Several trucks of police officers in riot gear conducted the arrests at the mens’ homes before taking them to the Kathmandu District Police office. The arrests come a day after a new government headed by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah took office following a landslide win in parliamentary election earlier this month by his Rastriya Swatantra Party. Shah and Gurung have promised justice for those killed and wounded.The election was the country’s first since the youth-led protests against corruption and poor governance on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9 that left 76 people dead and more than 2,300 injured. Angry mobs burned down the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations and the homes of top politicians who were forced to flee on army helicopters. The demonstrations fueled by “Gen Z” activists forced the Sept. 12 appointment of Nepal’s first female prime minister, Sushila Karki, a retired Supreme Court judge who served during the transition leading up to the election.