Daijiworld Media Network - Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Mar 29: Nepali Congress leader and former Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, was arrested by police early Sunday morning in connection with a money laundering investigation, a senior officer confirmed.
Khadka becomes the third member of the Oli-led government’s cabinet to face arrest, following former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who were detained in connection with homicide-related cases linked to the suppression of the Gen Z movement last September.
Senior Superintendent of Police Shiva Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said Khadka was taken into custody from his apartment in the Maharajgunj area of Kathmandu. “He was taken in for investigation after a large amount of cash was discovered when his house was set on fire during the Gen Z movement last September,” he stated. Videos and images of the uprising showed protesters throwing bundles of cash into the air, some of which later surfaced in forensic investigations.
Khadka, who runs multiple businesses including hydropower projects and hotels, had been embroiled in controversies during his tenure as energy minister. He openly clashed with former Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Kul Man Ghising, which eventually led to Ghising’s removal. He also faced allegations of facilitating licenses and contracts in exchange for financial benefits and misappropriating land belonging to Nepal Scouts in Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, police presented former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak before the District Court, Kathmandu, seeking an extension of his detention for further investigation into his role in suppressing the Gen Z movement. Former Prime Minister Oli is expected to be presented virtually in court due to his current hospitalization in Kathmandu.
The September 8–9, 2025 uprising left 77 people dead and caused property damage worth over NPR 84 billion, according to a government report. An inquiry commission led by former Special Court chairperson Gauri Bahadur Karki has recommended that Oli, Lekhak, and ex-Police Chief Chandra Kuber Khapung be charged under Sections 181 and 182 of the National Penal Code for criminal negligence, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
This wave of arrests highlights ongoing investigations into alleged financial and administrative misconduct by members of the former Oli government during the Gen Z movement.