Court Allows Police to Detain Former PM Oli and Ex-Home Minister Lekhak for 5 Days for Investigation

Kathmandu. The court has permitted the police to detain former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in custody for five days for investigation. Kathmandu District Court Judge Anand Shrestha granted the police permission to keep both individuals in custody for investigation.

The police arrested Oli and Lekhak on Chaitra 14 and presented them to the court on Sunday. They are accused of ordering the shooting of teenagers with lethal weapons during the J-Genji protests that occurred on Bhadra 23 and 24.

The investigation commission led by Gauribahadur Karki had recommended investigating Oli and Lekhak, along with officials from the then Central Security Committee, in a criminal case. Following the recommendation, the police are investigating them under the charge of 'offenses against life'.

The report submitted by the high-level investigation commission has been sent to the police for implementation. The report submitted by the commission led by Gauribahadur Karki was sent to the police as per the cabinet decision. SSP Ramesh Thapa of the District Police Range Kathmandu informed Ratopati that the report has arrived for implementation.

Based on that report, the police are investigating Oli and Lekhak. Although the commission recommended prosecuting all members of the Central Security Committee in a criminal case, the cabinet decided to form a separate committee to study the matter concerning the security agency officials.

The Central Security Committee includes the IGP of the Police, the Inspector General of the Armed Police Force, the Secretary of the Home Ministry, and the Chief of the National Investigation Department as members. 76 people died in the J-Genji protests.