Kathmandu, March 29: The Kathmandu District Court on Sunday remanded former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak to five days in custody for investigation into their alleged negligence leading to the deaths of protesters during the Gen Z-led protests in September.
A single bench of judge Ananda Shrestha issued the order following a hearing on a petition filed by government attorneys seeking permission to detain the two leaders for investigation. While prosecutors had sought 10 days in custody, the court granted a five-day remand.
Lekhak was presented physically before the court, while Oli, who is undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, appeared virtually citing health issues.
Both leaders were arrested on Saturday morning in connection with the September 8 incident, during which security forces are accused of using excessive force to suppress demonstrations.
During the hearing, government lawyers argued that custody was necessary to carry forward the investigation, while defence lawyers maintained that there were no grounds for detention and demanded their release.
Senior advocates Harihar Dahal, Agni Kharel, Ramesh Badal, Gopal Krishna Ghimire and Khamma Bahadur Khati, among others, represented Oli and Lekhak in court.
The arrests stem from a recommendation by a high-level inquiry commission, which called for criminal proceedings against the two leaders for alleged reckless and negligent conduct during the suppression of the protests on September 8–9.
At the time of the protests, Oli was serving as prime minister, while Lekhak was home minister.
Meanwhile, a habeas corpus petition each has been filed at the Supreme Court challenging their detention.
– The Kathmandu Post
