KATHMANDU: Interim Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has directed police not to take legal action against those involved in vandalism, arson, and looting under the pretext of the Gen-Z protests of September 8 and 9.
According to police sources, Aryal issued a written order to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandrakuber Khapung, instructing law enforcement not to proceed with cases against suspects linked to the destruction of government property during the violent demonstrations.
Police had recently been bringing individuals under legal scrutiny for torching police posts, looting weapons, and attacking public offices. However, the home minister’s intervention has halted those investigations.
The Gen-Z protests, which began with a pledge of non-violence, spiraled into widespread infiltration and violence, leaving the state apparatus paralyzed. In Kathmandu and across the country, hundreds of government offices were set ablaze.
More than 3,000 police weapons were looted. Fires at major state institutions, including Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, the Parliament building, and the Prime Minister’s official residence, burned for days.
A high-ranking police official confirmed that over 100 individuals involved in arson and vandalism in the capital had already been taken into custody when Aryal’s directive arrived. The order, the official said, not only prevented further arrests but explicitly instructed police not to detain or inflict hardship on anyone linked to the violence.
Following growing criticism, the Home Ministry issued a statement on Sunday, announcing the formation of a judicial commission under former justice Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate human and material losses from the protests. The ministry argued that no immediate police action would be taken since the commission has the mandate to study the events and recommend legal steps.
However, police leadership has expressed dissatisfaction, warning that the decision undermines rule of law and risks emboldening violent actors. Many officers noted that the directive further weakened morale, already shaken after police units suffered heavy attacks on September 9, when uniforms and weapons were looted and officers were forced to work in plain clothes and sandals.
The Gen-Z protests in Kathmandu alone claimed the lives of three police personnel. Protesters have accused security forces of indiscriminate firing on September 8, an allegation now under review by the Karki-led judicial commission.
Despite the formation of the commission, critics argue the Home Ministry is moving to shield those responsible for burning state infrastructure, looting banks, and seizing weapons. The government’s suspension of ongoing police investigations has raised fears of impunity and further instability.
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