Court Grants 5-Day Custody Extension for Oli and Lekhak to Continue Investigation

March 24, Kathmandu – The court has authorized the continued detention of CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with Congress leader and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, for further investigation. On Sunday, Judge Anand Prasad Shrestha of the Kathmandu District Court issued an order to extend their custody by 5 days, according to information provided by Deepak Kumar Shrestha. The government prosecutor had requested custody for up to 10 days for investigative purposes.

The protests of September 7 and 8, known as the Janajati agitation, were subject to suppression. At the time, KP Sharma Oli was the Prime Minister and Ramesh Lekhak was the Home Minister. The commission formed to investigate the repression during the agitation recommended criminal proceedings against Oli and Lekhak. Based on these recommendations, the necessary arrest warrants were issued and both were taken into custody on Saturday morning. Lekhak appeared in court in person today, while Oli joined virtually from Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital due to health concerns.