His home minister Ramesh Lekhak was also arrested. They were detained a day after Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician, was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister and after a body investigating violence during the protests recommended negligence charges against them last week, HINA reports.
A total of 76 people died in the two days of unrest that led to Oli’s resignation.
Police spokesman Om Adhikari said Oli and Lekhak are at the Kathmandu police station and will appear in court on Sunday, which is a working day in Nepal.
“We arrested them according to the recommendations of the investigative commission,” he said.
Seventy-four-year-old Oli, who has had two kidney transplants, was later moved from the police station to the hospital, eyewitnesses said.
His lawyer Tikaram Bhattarai told Reuters the arrest was unjustified.
“They said he was (arrested) because of the investigation. It is illegal and inappropriate because there is no risk of him running away or evading interrogation,” he added.
The investigative body holds Oli responsible for failing to act to stop the hours-long shooting that left at least 19 young protesters dead during the first day of the protests.
Outrage over the deaths helped Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra party secure a landslide victory in elections this month.
(Vijesti.ba)
