KATHMANDU, Oct 11: The Kathmandu Police remains in a state of indecision over whether to take legal action against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, after the Karki-led inquiry commission returned a complaint filed against them.
The complaint submitted on October 6 by Sudan Gurung, an activist of the Gen Z movement, along with the family of a deceased protester, demanded the arrest and prosecution of Oli and Lekhak for their alleged role in suppressing the nationwide Gen Z protests on September 8, the first day of the protest.
However, instead of registering the complaint, Kathmandu Police initially forwarded it to the Karki Commission, which was formed to investigate human and physical loss of the September 8 and 9 protest.
On Thursday, the commission sent the complaint back to the police, stating that it does not fall within its mandate. The commission later issued a notice saying criminal investigations and prosecutions should proceed through the regular government mechanism, independent of the commission’s own reporting timeline.
Despite the complaint being returned, the police have not taken any action. Officials say they are now in legal consultation regarding how to proceed. Kathmandu Police Range sources said that they are in discussions with government attorneys under provisions that allow for legal consultation in complex cases.
“We are in legal consultation on how to proceed with this,” said sources. “Only then will we know how to move forward.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Sushila Karki also held discussions with heads of security agencies on this matter.
Chief of Nepal Police Chandra Kuber Khapung, Armed Police Force Chief Raju Aryal, and National Investigation Department Chief Tekendra Karki during the meeting had advised prime minister and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal that any immediate move to arrest Oli and Lekhak could lead to confrontation.
Following the warnings from security chiefs, the police refrained from registering the complaint and opted to defer it to the commission, which has now returned it.
Adding to the political sensitivity, Oli himself criticized the legitimacy of the Karki Commission during a UML program in Bhaktapur, calling it “a fake commission” and stating that it was unacceptable to the CPN-UML. Notably, the commission returned the complaint on the same day Oli made the remarks.
Meanwhile, the CPN-UML’s student wing ANNFSU has filed a counter-complaint at the Kathmandu Police, demanding the arrest of Sudan Gurung and Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah. They are charged with inciting the protest.
This has left the police caught between conflicting political demands.
A senior police officer said, “The situation may become more complicated if high-profile arrests are made before the commission submits its report or before political consensus is achieved.”