Nepal Gen-Z Protesters File Criminal Case Against Former PM Oli and Minister for Deadly Crackdown

Kathmandu:

Nepal's youth-led Gen-Z movement has taken a significant legal step by filing an FIR against former prime minister K P Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak. The group is pursuing criminal accountability for the deaths that occurred during last month's anti-government demonstrations.

Superintendent of Police Pawan Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Kathmandu District Police Circle, verified that the First Information Report was successfully registered at the Kathmandu District Police Office in Bhadrakali, targeting UML chairman Oli and Nepali Congress leader Lekhak.

Bhattarai noted that since authorities have already established a probe commission to investigate the matter, police have forwarded the FIR to the high-level Judicial Investigation Commission led by Justice Gauri Bahadur Karki.

Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi explained, "The FIR registered by the Gen-Z youths with the police will establish their (Oli and Lekhak's) criminal accountability and pave the way for investigation of the crime committed on 8 and 9 September."

He emphasized that "The serious crime committed by the state agents should not go unpunished, and impunity must be ended."

Police firing during the first day of the Gen-Z protests on September 8 resulted in nineteen demonstrator fatalities. The two-day protests on September 8 and 9 saw a total death toll of 76 people.

Security forces reportedly fired indiscriminately on youth protesters who had gathered on September 8 demanding anti-corruption measures and the removal of government restrictions on social media platforms.

The second day witnessed escalated violence with additional casualties and several important government facilities being set ablaze, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Oli administration.