Nepal’s interim govt imposes travel restriction on former PM Oli, four others following probe into Gen-Z protest violence
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Nepal’s interim government has slapped a travel ban on former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and four key officials as probes heat up into the violent crackdown on the country’s Gen-Z protests. The decision, announced after a cabinet meeting in Kathmandu, blocks them from leaving the country or even stepping outside the Kathmandu Valley without official permission.
The ban targets Oli, ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, former National Investigation Department chief Hutaraj Thapa, and ex-Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabi Raj Rijal. An investigation commission, led by former justice Gauri Bahadur Karki, pushed for this step to ensure they stay available for questioning over the events of September 8 and 9—known locally as Bhadra 23 and 24.
Those days turned chaotic during the youth-led Gen-Z movement, when police fired on protesters marching from Maiti Ghar to New Baneshwor, killing 21 people. Autopsies showed victims died from bullets to the head and chest, even though officers were supposed to aim below the knee to control crowds without lethal force. The unrest exploded the next day, with angry mobs storming Parliament, Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, the President’s office, and even the Prime Minister’s residence. They torched buildings, homes of leaders, businesses, and factories, leaving a trail of destruction. In total, the crackdown claimed 74 lives.
Sources say the Home Ministry directed police to hold restricted areas near Parliament at all costs, and the Chief District Officer ordered live fire based on those instructions. Officials confirmed to that Oli knew about the escalating situation, including reports of rubber bullets turning deadly.
Oli, who quit as Prime Minister on September 9 and got whisked away to safety by the army, broke his 10-day silence at a party event in Bhaktapur on September 27. He dismissed the passport block as “government gossip” and insisted he wouldn’t flee Nepal. “We have to build this country into a constitutional democracy and get politics back on track,” he said, blaming “infiltrators” for the violence without naming names.
The four-time PM also downplayed his role in the shootings, claiming he was at Baluwatar checking on things and pushing to avoid deaths or property damage. “I heard about the firing and asked for details—they said it was just rubber bullets,” Oli recounted. He expressed shock at learning 14 people died from head and chest shots, saying police were told to aim low. “Those responsible will try to pin it on me,” he added, painting himself as focused on preventing bloodshed.
The officials’ whereabouts are still unclear, but the ban aims to keep them in Nepal for the ongoing inquiry into excessive force during the Nepal protests.
This all stems from the fall of Oli’s government. On September 12, a new interim setup took over under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, brokered by the Nepal Army. Right away, she urged the President to dissolve Parliament and hold fresh elections on March 5, 2025, as the country pushes to stabilize after the Gen-Z movement turmoil.
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