Nepal's ex-PM K P Sharma Oli arrested over deaths during Gen Z protests

K P Sharma Oli, Nepal's former prime minister was arrested on Saturday over deaths during Gen Z protests.

Officials said police are investigating whether he was negligent in failing to prevent dozens of ⁠deaths during Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September.

Ramesh Lekhak, his home minister was also arrested.

Their arrests come after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister and after a recommendation last week ​by a Nepali ⁠panel investigating violence during the protests that they should be prosecuted for negligence.

Police spokesman Om Adhikari said both Oli and Lekhak were being detained at the Kathmandu ‌Police Office and would be produced before the court on ⁠Sunday, a working day in Nepal.

76 people were killed in two days of unrest, following which Oli resigned.

He said they were arrested as per recommendations ‌made by the investigation commission.

Oli, ‌74 and who has had two kidney transplants ‌in the past, was subsequently transferred to a ‌hospital from the police office, witnesses said.

His lawyer Tikaram Bhattarai told Reuters that the arrest was unwarranted.

"They have said it (the arrest) ⁠is for ⁠investigation. It is illegal and improper because there is no risk of him fleeing or avoiding questioning," he said.

Lekhak and his lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.

The panel held Oli responsible for not taking any action to stop hours of firing that ​killed at least 19 Gen Z protesters on the ​first day of ​the demonstrations.

Anger over the deaths helped sweep Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party to ​a landslide election this month.

(With Reuters inputs)