Kathmandu, 10 Oct: A major controversy has emerged after reports surfaced that Prime Minister Sushila Karki and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal pressured security agencies to arrest former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak. According to multiple sources, the two leaders summoned top security officials, including Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandrakuber Khapung, to Baluwatar late Monday night, instructing them to take immediate action. However, security chiefs refused, citing “legal complications” and “national security sensitivities.”
This unprecedented move followed growing demands from Gen-Z activists who accused Oli and Lekhak of ordering police shootings during recent protests. Sources confirmed that Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah was the first to raise the issue directly with Prime Minister Karki during their October 9 meeting—the first formal interaction between the two since Karki’s appointment as interim prime minister. Balen, a central figure in the Gen-Z movement, urged the government to arrest both leaders immediately, claiming it was essential to respect the protesters’ mandate.
1. Rising Political Tension and Gen-Z Influence
Following Balen’s intervention, the issue escalated rapidly. The government had already formed a high-level probe commission led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate the deadly Gen-Z protests of August 23–24. Yet, even before the commission began its work, youth activists started pressuring the government to act. On October 18, a meeting was held at Baluwatar between government ministers and Gen-Z representatives, including activist Sudan Gurung and other protest leaders. The youths presented an eight-point demand, calling for the immediate arrest of Oli and Lekhak, as well as the resignation of top judicial and anti-corruption officials.
The demand created internal divisions within the movement. Some representatives walked out in protest, while others stayed, insisting their conditions be met. Eventually, a three-point agreement was reached—to file police complaints against Oli and Lekhak and to launch social media campaigns under the hashtags #ArrestKPOli, #ArrestRameshLekhak, and #Murderers. Gurung later led families of protest victims to the Kathmandu District Police Office to register a formal complaint, but police refused to accept it, citing jurisdictional limits and the authority of the existing probe commission.
2. Midnight Showdown and Retreat at Baluwatar
Following the confrontation, Home Minister Aryal reportedly ordered the police to register the complaint and arrest the two leaders immediately. IGP Khapung, skeptical of the legality of such a move, sought clarification and went to the ministry with senior officers. When the police still refused, Aryal grew frustrated and called another emergency meeting at Baluwatar around 10 p.m., attended by Prime Minister Karki, army chief Ashokraj Sigdel, and heads of all security agencies.
During the intense discussion that lasted until 2 a.m., both Karki and Aryal initially supported arresting Oli and Lekhak, arguing that “the government must act according to the people’s mandate.” IGP Khapung pushed back, saying there was no legal basis for such arrests and warning that similar complaints could later target Balen Shah and activist Gurung. The standoff grew heated—Aryal threatened to dismiss the police chief, while Khapung said he was ready to resign rather than carry out an unlawful order.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, other security chiefs sided with Khapung, stressing that the interim government’s role was to prepare for elections, not to pursue politically motivated arrests. After hours of debate, the government backed down.
By the following morning, the police formally decided not to register the complaint against Oli and Lekhak, referring the case to the investigation commission instead.
