Nepal's Home Ministry Launches Aggressive Crackdown on High-Profile Figures

Kathmandu. Within a week of the formation of the new government under Balendra Shah's leadership, the home administration has taken aggressive action. Within seven days of newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung assuming office, eight influential individuals, including a former Prime Minister, former ministers, and lawmakers, have been arrested.

Gurung, who took the oath of office as Home Minister on Chaitra 13, initiated actions against major political figures within 24 hours of assuming his duties.

The day after the Home Minister was sworn in, on Chaitra 14, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on charges of suppressing the Gen-Z movement. On the same day, CPN-UML leader Karna Bahadur Malla was also arrested for rape-related offenses.

The arrests did not stop there. On Chaitra 15, Nepali Congress leader and former minister Deepak Khadka was arrested for money laundering. On the same day, police also took CPN-UML leader and Lumbini Provincial Assembly member Rekha Sharma into custody on charges of child labor exploitation.

On Chaitra 17, the then Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu, Chhabi Rijal, was arrested on charges of ordering the unnecessary use of force during protests. However, police released him on bail the same day.

Similarly, businessmen have also come under the government's radar. On Chaitra 19, businessman Deepak Bhatt was arrested during a money laundering investigation, and on Friday, Chaitra 20, Shankar Agrawal, the operator of the Shankar Group, was arrested.

The series of arrests of powerful individuals since Sudan Gurung took command of the Ministry of Home Affairs is being described as the new government's campaign for good governance.