KATHMANDU, March 28 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Nepal’s ousted former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested Saturday for negligence concerning the deaths of Gen Z protesters last September, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
“Promise is promise. No one is above law,” current Home Minister Sudan Gurung wrote on US social media platform Facebook. “Former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak are taken under control.”
Gurung, who was involved in the mass protests, said the arrests were not revenge. “It’s just the beginning of justice. I hope the country will take a new direction,” he said.
Oli is the head of the communist Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), whereas Lekhak is a senior leader of the Nepali Congress (NC).
Scores of police were deployed to Oli’s residence in Bhaktapur since the first Cabinet meeting on Friday decided to implement a report of a judicial commission formed to investigate last year’s Gen Z protests.
The commission, led by retired special court chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki, recommended an investigation against Oli, Lekhak and Police Chief Chandra Kuber Khapung for criminal negligence and the deaths of protesters.
A large number of UML supporters scuffled with police outside the residence. But police removed the demonstrators from the main gate and arrested the former prime minister.
A cabinet meeting decided to implement the recommendations and form a study committee for security officials accused of the shootings after the appointment of Balendra Shah as the new prime minister.
Leaders of the UML and NC have termed the report incomplete and biased.
The UML has called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. The meeting is expected to announce a protest against the arrest of the leaders.
“It's prejudice and revenge against us,” said Mahesh Basnet, secretary of the UML, as he urged party leaders to participate in street protests. “The emergency meeting will decide our future course,” said Basnet.
At least 25 protesters, mostly youth, were killed and 700 others injured in September last year when widespread protests broke out following a ban on social media companies, leading to the ouster of Sharma Oli's government.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
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