- Thursday, 2 April 2026
Kathmandu, Apr. 2: Nearly a 1,000 cases have been registered nationwide in connection with the September 9 arson and looting during the Gen Z demonstration, police said.
Security officials have reported that a total of 933 cases have been registered across Nepal, including the highest of 379 in the Kathmandu Valley, in connection with various offences linked to the destruction and deadly arson during the protests on September 9 following September 8 protest.
According to the Nepal Police Headquarters, as of the end of March, 963 individuals implicated in various criminal activities had been arrested, of whom 191 remain in custody pending trial, while the remaining 474 were released on bail.
Of those arrested, approximately 700 face charges of criminal disorder, while 20 individuals have been charged with homicide, Deputy Inspector General and Nepal Police Spokesperson, Abi Narayan Kafle, said.
Following recommendations from the probe commission led by former Justice Gauri Bahadur Karki regarding the events of September 9, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were taken into custody on Saturday morning after the formation of the new government under Balendra Shah.
The commission had also advised a separate investigation into vandalism, arson, and property destruction on September 9, but the government has yet to finalise the mechanisms for this inquiry.
Cases linked to September 9 events
Police reports indicate that 963 individuals have been charged with 13 types of offences in connection with the September 9 incidents only. Of these, 802 cases pertain to criminal disorder, with 691 arrests, including 203 in Kathmandu.
Four cases of culpable homicide have been registered, with 20 arrests, including 18 in Kathmandu and two in Dhading. Other charges include 30 for possession of weapons, 33 for indecent behaviour, four for attempted homicide, 39 for robbery and theft, two under the Prison Act-2022, four for arson and property damage, four for attempted murder, one for narcotics, one for cybercrime, and one for abetment of suicide.
Kathmandu Valley figures
Within the Kathmandu Valley, 379 cases have been recorded. Across Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, police records show 420 arrests.
In Kathmandu, besides criminal disorder and culpable homicide, arrests were made for theft, indecent behaviour, possession of weapons, and attempted murder. Notably, 51 were arrested for illegal weapons possession and 48 for theft, totalling 347 detainees in the capital.
In Lalitpur, 114 cases were registered covering criminal disorder, attempted homicide, robbery, theft, and organised crime, resulting in 31 arrests. Bhaktapur saw 56 cases, including indecent behaviour, criminal disorder, theft, and weapons offences, with 42 arrests.
Overall, 35 districts, including the three in the valley, have reported cases linked to September 9.
Cases outside the Valley
In Koshi Province, 184 cases across four districts led to 116 arrests. In Jhapa, the home district of former Prime Minister KP Oli, 41 cases were filed relating to attempted murder, weapons possession, criminal disorder, theft, and robbery.
Madhes Province recorded 26 cases across seven districts, resulting in 24 arrests. In Bagmati Province (outside the valley), 123 cases were filed, including 84 in Chitwan, former Prime Minister Prachanda’s home district, with 53 arrests.
Gandaki Province recorded 107 cases across five districts, with 133 arrests. In Kaski, Pokhara saw extensive arson affecting numerous hotels aside from government offices, with 86 cases and 68 arrests.
In Karnali’s Surkhet, four cases of theft and arson led to three arrests, while Sudurpashchim Province saw 37 cases across three districts with 31 arrests.
Nepal Police Spokesperson Kafle stated, “Once the commission reports are received, legal proceedings for homicide cases can proceed at any time. Based on complaints related to offences such as arson and property destruction, 933 cases have been filed under criminal law.”
The registered cases are under investigation, with reports submitted to the Office of the Attorney General. The Attorney General’s Office noted that centralised statistics on court filings related to the incidents have not been maintained, and records exist only at the respective government attorney offices.
Under the agreement between the government and Gen Z in November last year, individuals drawn into investigations solely for participation in the protests are to be screened within 15 days. Those not implicated in serious crimes are to be released promptly, with cases withdrawn in accordance with the commission’s recommendations.
The Attorney General’s Office has faced criticism for delays, as a significant number of cases linked to the September 9 protests remain pending.
