Months after the Gen Z protest, which shook and toppled the Nepal government from the core, the former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been arrested at his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur. Reports suggest the arrest is a landmark moment in Nepali politics, demanded by the affected families and revolutionaries of the country. Here are all the details.
PM KP Sharma Oli for Criminal Negligence
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, Nepal’s former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested on charges of culpable homicide and criminal negligence during the Gen Z protest. The country went through a major Gen Z uprising back in September 2025, and a government-backed investigation (the Karki Commission) highlighted that the security forces targeted protesters’ heads and chests, killing at least 77 people, including minors.
The government under Oli and his administration failed to take any action to stop this lethal use of force. Although the investigation concludes that a direct ‘order to shoot’ by Oli is not definitely proven, the failed management and action is criminal negligence.
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“They were arrested this morning, and the process will move forward according to the law,” reportedly said Kathmandu Valley police spokesman.
Oli’s Party (the CPN-UML) has called the arrest a “political revenge” and “vindictive politics”. There are threats of nationwide counter-protests on Oli’s arrest, which has been reported to have been moved to a hospital under police custody shortly after being detained due to his old age (74 years), chronic health issues (had two kidney transplants).
Context of The “Gen Z Protests” (September 2025)
The arrest of Nepal’s Former PM KP Sharma Oli is associated with the Gen Z protest in September 2025. On September 4, 2025, the government banned 26 social media platforms, including the widely popular TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and more. The decision was made considering the failure of these platforms to register locally; however, it soon became a catalyst for the deep-seated anger of the citizens, especially Gen Z, over corruption and nepotism in the country.
People exposed the political elites’ children’s lavish lifestyle, while the youth faced 20% unemployment. Soon, a full-blown protest began in the country, and on September 8, 2025, the police opened fire on a student-led rally in Kathmandu, reportedly killing 19 people that day and a total of 77 people during the entire week of unrest.
This fueled the anger, leading to parliaments and many government buildings being set on fire and eventually leading to the resignation of Oli on September 9.
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Why did the Arrest Happened Now in March 2026?
There’s a six-month gap between the Gen Z protests and Oli’s arrest, which is likely due to the transition of government in Nepal. More importantly, the release of the judicial commission’s findings.
Notably, the Karki Commission report had already been submitted to the other interim government earlier in the year, but was leaked to the public just days before the new cabinet was sworn in.
Nepal had its general election in March 2026, in which Balendra “Balen” Shah (from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)), a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu, won a major margin. His win was based on his campaigns, formed around the promise of justice for the martyrs of the Gen Z protest.
The Prime Minister Balen Shah was sworn in on March 27, 2026, and immediately took action. In his very first cabinet evening on that sworn day itself, he ordered the immediate implementation of the commission’s recommendations. This led to the arrest of KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Saturday morning.