Nepal’s Anti-corruption drive intensifies with arrest of Former Minister Deepak Khadka

In a fresh development underscoring an intensifying crackdown on political figures, Nepal Police on Sunday arrested former energy minister and Nepali Congress leader Deepak Khadka in connection with a money laundering investigation .

Officials from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed that Khadka was taken into custody following a request from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. He was detained for questioning over alleged financial irregularities linked to his tenure as Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

According to investigators, Khadka is accused of receiving financial benefits in exchange for facilitating licences and contracts for various projects during his time in office. The allegations had first drawn public attention during last year’s Gen Z protests, when images and videos purportedly showing burnt fragments of banknotes surfaced from residences linked to him and other senior leaders.

The controversy had also touched former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, with forensic examinations later reportedly confirming the authenticity of the recovered materials.

Khadka’s arrest comes close on the heels of the detention of former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who were booked over alleged roles in the suppression of the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9 last year . The protests had turned violent, leaving 76 people dead , including a significant number of young demonstrators.

With yet another high-profile arrest, the spotlight is firmly on Nepal’s political establishment. As the new regime tightens its grip on alleged corruption and past excesses, questions remain over how many more leaders could face the law in the days ahead .