Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli has been detained in connection with a deadly police crackdown on anti-government protests last year that left more than 70 people dead.

Authorities confirmed that Oli, 74, was arrested on Saturday alongside former home minister Ramesh Lekhak after an investigative panel recommended legal action against them for alleged criminal negligence during the unrest. However, formal charges have yet to be filed, reports BBC.

The protests, which erupted in September, were initially triggered by a government ban on social media platforms but quickly escalated into a nationwide uprising driven by public anger over corruption, unemployment and a struggling economy. Many of those killed were protesters reportedly shot by law enforcement during clashes.

Kathmandu Valley police spokesperson Om Adhikari said the arrests were carried out in accordance with legal procedures, adding that “the process will move forward according to the law.”

The development comes just a day after Nepal swore in its new prime minister, 35-year-old Balen Shah, a former rapper-turned-politician, following elections sparked by the crisis. Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party secured a landslide victory, marking a rare outright majority in the country’s political landscape.

Oli has strongly denied wrongdoing, dismissing the investigation as politically motivated. In earlier remarks to local media, he described the findings as “character assassination and hate politics.” His legal team has also challenged the detention, arguing there was no justification for arrest at this stage of the probe.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung, a prominent figure during the protests, defended the move, stating on social media that accountability must prevail. “No one is above the law. This is not revenge, but the beginning of justice,” he wrote.

The unrest, often referred to as the “Gen-Z protests,” saw widespread violence, including arson attacks on parliament buildings, police stations and businesses. At least 19 people, including a school-going teenager, were killed on the first day alone.

Families of the 76 killed have continued to demand justice, intensifying pressure on authorities to hold those responsible accountable.

Oli had resigned shortly after the violence on 9 September but later contested the March 5 election, which ultimately reshaped Nepal’s political leadership.