KATHMANDU — Hundreds rallied on March 30 demanding the release of former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, arrested for his role in the 2025 protest crackdown that toppled his government and killed at least 76 people.
The 74-year-old, a four-time premier, and ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were detained in pre-dawn raids on March 28, just a day after Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s swearing-in post-September elections. Heavy police blocked protesters from the charred Parliament building, torched during the uprising sparked by a social media ban amid economic woes.
Chanting “Release KP Oli” and “Scrap the commission report,” about 300 demonstrators decried an inquiry blaming Oli and Lekhak for “criminal negligence” in failing to halt security forces’ firing on crowds. The report urges prosecution under recklessness laws causing death; neither man is charged yet and both deny involvement.
Oli, facing health issues, appeared via video from hospital on March 29 as courts extended his detention five days. His lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court for bail. Former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka was also arrested March 29 on money laundering charges.
The September unrest spread nationwide, burning government sites and collapsing Oli’s regime, leading to fresh elections.