Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli arrested over deaths during Gen Z protests
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Former Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested as police investigate their alleged negligence in failing to prevent the deaths during Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September.
- The arrests followed a recommendation from a Nepali panel that investigated the violence, which resulted in 76 deaths over two days and led to Oli's resignation.
- Both officials were detained at the Kathmandu Police Office and are scheduled to be presented in court; Oli was later transferred to a hospital due to health concerns.
- Oli's lawyer condemned the arrest as unwarranted and illegal, arguing there was no risk of him fleeing or avoiding questioning.
- The protests and resulting deaths fueled public anger that contributed to rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party winning a landslide victory in recent elections.
