Kathmandu, March 28 — The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) convened an emergency secretariat meeting Saturday calling for the immediate release of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli after his arrest and announcing a coordinated campaign of protests and legal action.
Party leaders said they will mobilise public and civil-society support for both legal and political protests. Organisers scheduled demonstrations at district party headquarters at 3:00 pm on Saturday, delivery of protest letters to Chief District Officer offices, and larger district-level rallies at noon on Sunday. The CPN-UML also said it would work with pro-democracy parties and other civic groups.
Oli was taken into custody at his Bhaktapur residence on Saturday morning and was later admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. Authorities linked the arrest to a culpable-homicide probe into the security response to the Gen Z-led anti-corruption protests in September 2025, which left 77 people dead and caused extensive damage to public and private property.
CPN-UML officials criticised the investigation that prompted the arrest. Party member Raghuji Pant said the committee report lacked sufficient grounds and was ‘‘prepared with intent,’’ while former foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali described the detention as an act of political revenge against the party chairman.
The arrests are not limited to Oli. Former home minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak was also detained, officials said. Police said the actions followed a formal complaint from the Home Ministry, which triggered an inquiry and led to arrest warrants.
According to law-enforcement briefings, the detentions implement recommendations from a commission headed by former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. The commission advised charging Oli, Lekhak and then-Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung under Sections 181 and 182 of the National Penal Code for alleged criminal negligence, offences that can carry up to 10 years in prison.
The report also recommended Section 182 proceedings against Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi, Armed Police Force chief Raju Aryal, former National Investigation Department head Hutaraj Thapa, and then-Kathmandu chief district officer Chhabi Rijal. It urged that other officials deemed responsible face disciplinary measures under their respective organisational rules. Investigators said the commission had identified failures to act on prior intelligence as contributing to the casualties.
A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Friday decided to implement the commission’s recommendations, clearing the way for legal action against those named in the report.
CPN-UML leaders have vowed sustained mobilisation in response to the detentions, promising district-level demonstrations and legal challenges as they press for Oli’s release.
