Slug : Political Arrests
KATHMANDU
The arrest of former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has sent shockwaves through Nepal, putting the new government’s promises of justice under the microscope.
The two leaders were taken into custody yesterday for their alleged roles in a September 2025 firing incident that claimed several lives during the “Gen Z uprising” in the capital.
The arrests followed a massive 1,000-page investigation report submitted earlier this month. However, controversy has erupted because the government has not yet made the full report public. Critics and local media, including The Kathmandu Post, have raised concerns that the move feels “selective.” While the two politicians are behind bars, other top security officials named in the report remain free, leading to suspicions that the new administration might be targeting its political rivals.
Nepal’s new Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, took office with a massive mandate and a 100-point reform plan to fix the economy and reduce corruption. While many support bringing those responsible for the 2025 violence to justice, experts warn that the process must be transparent to remain legitimate. Unlike neighboring Bangladesh, where similar unrest led to widespread retaliatory violence and the death sentence of a former leader, Nepal has remained relatively peaceful.
The public is now watching closely to see if the Shah government will deliver fair trials or if this mandate will be wasted on political distractions. For the families of those killed, the hope remains that the law will apply to everyone equally.
