Former Nepal prime minister K P Sharma Oli has reacted sharply to his arrest, calling the move “retaliatory” and asserting that he will challenge it through legal means.
The arrest comes at a crucial moment for Nepal, just a day after a new government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah was sworn in following the first elections since the 2025 uprising that toppled Oli’s decades-long political dominance.
Oli was arrested on Saturday morning along with former home minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged involvement in a deadly crackdown on protestors in September, police said.
At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on September 8 and 9, which began over a brief social media ban but quickly escalated into widespread anger over economic hardship.
Oli denied any role in the violence and vowed to fight the arrest legally.
