Release or file charge-sheet against Oli – Lekhak, Apex Court orders

The Supreme Court of Nepal has issued a conditional order to release former Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair K.P. Oli and then Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak on April 9. The apex court gave the verdict responding to separate habeas corpus filed on behalf of former PM Oli and former Home Minister Lekhak at the court.

The court in its verdict orders either to release them by April 9 or file chargesheet against them in the district court if the government attorney decides so within the stipulated period. In such a case it is likely that Oli and Lekhak might be released on bail, according to senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi.

The judicial detention of Oli and Lekhak which was extended for the third time for recording their statement in the crackdown of Gen Z uprising of September, 2025 expires on April 9. Both the leaders are under detention in the Gen Z movement suppression case since March 28.

Following the arrest by Police Oli and Lekhak were presented before Kathmandu District Court on March 30 seeking detention court, in which the district court gave permission to detain them for five days for recording their statement in the case.

The Probe Commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki in its report recommended legal action against Oli and Lekhak among others for the crackdown of the September 8 and 9 uprising in which 76 people were killed.

The decision to release Oli and Lekhak was made by the Supreme Court bench comprising Binod Sharma and Sunil Kumar Pokharel on Monday in its final hearing.