Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Oli’s party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), criticized his arrest on Friday. Party member Raghuji Pant stated that the investigation committee report used to justify Oli’s arrest “lacks sufficient grounds” and suggested that it was “prepared with an intention.” Pant said, “The investigation committee report itself doesn’t provide enough basis for the arrest. It is prepared with a purpose.”

Former Foreign Minister and party leader Pradeep Gyawali called the arrest “political revenge against our chairman.” In response, CPN-UML announced an emergency secretariat meeting. Oli was arrested by Nepal Police at his residence in Bhaktapur in connection with an alleged culpable homicide case linked to the suppression of the Gen Z-led anti-corruption protests in September 2025. Earlier, Nepali Congress leader and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also arrested. These arrests followed a formal complaint from the Home Ministry, which prompted an investigation and led to arrest warrants.

According to the Kathmandu Post, police said the arrests were based on recommendations from a commission led by former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. The commission suggested charging Oli, Lekhak, and then-Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung under Sections 181 and 182 of the National Penal Code for criminal negligence, which carries a potential prison term of up to 10 years.

The report also recommends legal action against Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi, Armed Police Force chief Raju Aryal, former head of the National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa, and then-chief district officer of Kathmandu Chhabi Rijal under Section 182. Other officials found responsible are to be dealt with according to the laws governing their positions. The commission attributed the crackdown to criminal negligence and failure to act on prior intelligence, which resulted in multiple deaths.

During the September 2025 Gen Z protests, 77 people died, and billions of rupees’ worth of government and private property were destroyed. In its first Cabinet meeting, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Friday, the government decided to implement the commission’s report, enabling legal action against the named officials. The Cabinet also approved forming a study committee to examine the role of security personnel based on the Karki Commission’s recommendations. A separate investigation committee will immediately look into the involvement of security agencies in cases involving political leaders and others. The Cabinet announced that September 8 and 9 would be observed to honor the martyrs of the Gen Z movement and earlier movements. Sasmit Pokharel, Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, was appointed as the official government spokesperson.