Former Nepal Prime Minister was arrested by authorities on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in a violent protest crackdown last year that led to dozens of civilian deaths.
On 28 Mar 2026 GMT+7, KP Sharma Oli, former Nepal Prime Minister, was taken to hospital after being arrested by authorities on charges linked to a violent protest crackdown that caused fatalities the previous year.
Officials stated that Oli was taken to a clinic in Kathmandu for a medical examination as a routine police procedure immediately after his arrest at his residence in the early hours of Saturday.
During the protest crackdown in September 2025, reports indicated over 70 deaths, mostly protesters shot by police while demonstrating against the government's social media ban order. The situation escalated due to public anger over corruption and economic conditions.
Additionally, 62-year-old former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also arrested on Saturday following recommendations from the unrest investigation committee to charge both with gross negligence.
The hospital’s public relations department told BBC Nepali that Oli must stay hospitalized pending medical test results, given his age of 74 and his medical history of having undergone two kidney transplants.
This arrest occurred just one day after 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as the new Prime Minister following a landslide election victory.
Previously, Oli denied the investigation findings, telling Annapurna Post news agency that the results were “defamation and political hatred.”
His lawyer told Reuters that detaining him during the investigation was unreasonable, calling it "illegal and inappropriate" since there was no risk of him fleeing or avoiding testimony.
Meanwhile, supporters of Oli’s CPN-UML party began gathering to protest in Kathmandu after the party’s secretariat decided to launch nationwide demonstrations.
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Source:bbc