Former Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli Arrested Over Violent 2025 GenZ Protests, Day After Balen Shah Takes Oath As New Prime Minister

Former Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli and former Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak arrested over violence Gen Z protest crackdown within 24 hours of former rapper Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, swearing in as the country’s 40th Prime Minister. The three-year-old ​party led by rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah secured a landslide victory in the general elections. 

The massive youth-led protests toppled the previous KP Oli-led government in September 2025. Later, in September, Nepal’s first female prime minister Sushila Karki, a retired Supreme Court judge, was appointed to help during the transition leading up to the election.

KP Oli Arrested: A Timeline

The dramatic events unfolded early this morning in connection with a culpable homicide case linked to the violent clashes during the September 2025 Gen Z protests.

Communist leader KP Oli was taken into custody from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, on Saturday morning. Lekhak was arrested earlier the same morning from his residence in Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, around 5 AM.

The arrests follow a formal complaint filed by the Home Ministry, which triggered an investigation and led to arrest warrants being issued.

‘This Is Not Revenge’

Announcing the arrests on social media, Home Minister Sudan Gurung wrote - “No one is above the law. We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak under control." “This is not revenge against anyone, it is just the beginning of justice," he said.

Prior to the high-profile arrest, security was tightened across the Kathmandu Valley as teams from the Bhaktapur District Police Range and Kathmandu Valley Police Office carried went into action. Senior officials, including Home Secretary Raj Kumar Shrestha and Law Secretary Parashwor Dhungana, visited Police Headquarters late Friday after authorities sought a written go-ahead for the arrests. Home Minister Sudan Gurung too held long discussions with security chiefs until midnight ahead of the operation. 

Both KP Sharma Oli and his then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak have been accused of doing nothing to prevent killings of young protesters during the massive youth-led uprising on September 8 last year. An official probe into the killings had recommended criminal prosecution against the two plus the then chief of Nepal Police Chandra Kuber Khapung. After several youth was killed during the protests in 2025, then Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, who is now the new Nepal PM, had written on Facebook - ‘KP Oli is a terrorists. Arrest him.’

‘Arrest KP Oli’ Decision Taken In Balen's 1st Cabinet Meet

The action against the former prime minister and his home minister comes directly after a key decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balen Shah on Friday. The newly formed Nepal leadership resolved to implement the findings of a high-level inquiry commission that investigated the Gen Z protest crackdown.

As per The Kathmandu Post, police officials said that both KP Sharma Oli and Ramesh Lekhak were arrested to enforce the recommendations of the commission led by former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. The local news further stated that the commission has recommended that Oli, Lekhak, and then Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung be charged under Sections 181 and 182 of the National Penal Code for criminal negligence. The charges could carry a prison term of up to 10 years.

The report attributes the deadly crackdown to ‘criminal negligence and recklessness’, citing failure to act on prior intelligence warning of escalation. During the youth-led protests on September 8 and 9, 2025, a total of 77 people were killed, while government and private property worth billions was destroyed.

The commission has also recommended legal action against several top officials, including former home secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi, Armed Police Force chief Raju Aryal, former National Investigation Department head Hutaraj Thapa, and then Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabi Rijal.

It also stated that other officials found responsible should face action under relevant laws governing their institutions.

For current Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki and Armed Police Force official Narayan Dutta Poudel, the commission has reportedly suggested formal reprimands which could impact their future promotions.

Balen Shah Sworn In As Nepal’s Youngest PM

A day before the arrest of former PM KP Oli, the 35-year-old political outsider Balendra Shah took oath as the youngest Prime Minister of Nepal at a special ceremony held at the President’s Office. The oath was administered by President Ramchandra Paudel under Article 76(1) of the Constitution.

The ceremony was attended by Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal, former prime ministers, diplomats, and top security officials.

At 40th in line, Shah is among the youngest leaders to head the Himalayan nation. A former structural engineer and rapper, Belan Shah first rose to prominence in 2022 when he won the Kathmandu mayoral race as an independent candidate, defeating well-known and prominent political figures.

In the recently held general elections in Nepal, Belan Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured a near two-thirds majority. It won 182 seats in the 275-member Nepalese Parliament, the largest majority of any party in more than six decades.

Another 15 members of the new Cabinet were also sworn in an elaborate ceremony that included Hindu rituals, such as the “shankhnaad” or blowing of conches, and religious chanting by Hindu priests and Buddhist lamas.

Army bands played tunes and officials and diplomats lined up to greet the new leader, as hundreds of his supporters cheered outside the presidential residence and the prime minister's office in the heart of Kathmandu.

The timing of Shah's oath taking (12:34 PM) on the day when the Himalayan nation is celebrating Ram Navami was seen as an auspicious time by Hindu priests based on astrological calculations. It also fits the “1-2-3-4” numerological pattern. Shah later on Friday entered his new office at 14:15 PM which also fits a “14-15” pattern. Hindu priests consider such numerical patterns as auspicious as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X on Friday to congratulate Balen Shah ahead of his new journey. “Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal," PM Modi said. "I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples,” he added.

Major Decisions Taken By Balen Shah On Day 1 Of Being Nepal PM 

First In its first Cabinet meeting, the new government announced a series of major decisions. Apart from the implementation of the report of the commission formed to investigate the suppression of the GenZ movement, the newly formed Nepal Cabinet decided to express respect and pay tribute to all known and unknown martyrs of the GenZ movement on September 8 and 9, 2025, as well as to the martyrs of earlier movements. It also appointed Sasmit Pokharel, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, as the official spokesperson of the Government of Nepal. 

The Cabinet approved the government's reform agenda, which is set to be published soon. The meeting also resolved to implement the report submitted by the commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which investigated the incidents that occurred during the demonstrations on September 8 and 9, 2025.