KATHMANDU, April 1: The first five days of the Prime Minister Balendra Shah's administration have seen an extraordinary wave of high-profile arrests, with five top figures taken into custody and one released on bail.
Those detained include former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, former Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak; former Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka; Lumbini Province lawmaker Rekha Sharma, and former Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabilal Rijal. Rijal was released on bail on Tuesday.
Oli and Lekhak were taken into custody early Saturday morning, following recommendations by a high-level commission led by former Special Court Chair Gauri Bahadur Karki investigating the Gen-Z protests of September 8 and 9. Rijal was arrested in connection with the same case, while Khadka faced detention on charges of property laundering.
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The two senior leaders have now been held for five days pending investigation. The Supreme Court has demanded justification for their arrests after habeas corpus petitions were filed by their families. On Sunday evening, Lumbini Province Assembly member Sharma was also arrested from her Dhumbarahi residence, despite the case against her having been previously closed.
Oli’s arrest has sparked nationwide protests by the CPN-UML, which has announced further demonstrations across the country. Over the weekend, petitions seeking the release of Oli and Lekhak were filed in the Supreme Court. Oli’s wife, Radhika Shakya, and Lekhak’s wife, Yasodha Lekhak, each filed writs claiming the arrests were unlawful.
The petitions argue that detention based solely on a commission’s recommendation or investigation report does not satisfy legal standards and that Oli’s arrest violated procedural law.
Justice Megraj Pokharel of the Supreme Court’s single bench has ordered the government and relevant security agencies to provide reasons for Oli’s arrest, sparking a high-profile legal debate. Earlier, the Kathmandu District Court permitted the detention of both individuals for five days for investigation, while the hearings on the writs continue.
The legality of Oli’s detention will be further clarified once the government submits its written response. The case has drawn intense attention in both political and legal circles. During hearings, the court has also requested the investigation files of the Karki commission for review.
