Police in Nepal arrested former prime minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday morning over the deaths of dozens of people during violent protests in September.
It should be recalled that violent protests in September toppled the government and led to new elections.
Authorities arrested the powerful communist leader at his residence on the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu. They also arrested former home minister Ramesh Lekhk, who is accused of ordering authorities to open fire on protesters.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung announced the arrests on social media.
“No one is above the law. We have brought former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhk under control,” Gurung said. “This is not revenge against anyone, it is the beginning of justice.”
A government-set commission of inquiry had demanded up to 10 years in prison for Oli, Lekhk and the police chief at the time of the protests.
In the chaos, several trucks of police officers made arrests at their homes before taking the men to the Kathmandu district police office.
The arrests came a day after a new government led by rapper-turned-politician Balinder Shah took power after his Rastriya Swatantra Party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month.
Shah and Gurung have promised justice for those killed and injured.
It was the country’s first election since youth-led protests against corruption and poor governance on September 8 and 9 that left 76 people dead and more than 2,300 injured. Angry mobs set fire to the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations, and the homes of top politicians, who were forced to flee in army helicopters.
Protests by “Jan Zee” activists led to the appointment of Nepal’s first female prime minister, Sushila Karki, on September 12, a retired Supreme Court judge who served during the transition to the elections.
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