Supreme Court of Nepal on Monday declined to grant interim relief to former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, who was recently arrested over his alleged role in last year's Gen Z protest crackdown, even as demonstrations continued across the country demanding his release.
Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife Radhika Shakya, a single bench led by Justice Meghraj Pokharel refused to order his immediate release.
Instead, the court directed authorities to submit a written explanation outlining the legal basis of his detention.
A similar order was issued in response to a petition concerning former home minister Ramesh Lekhak.
Oli and Lekhak were taken into custody on Saturday following the government's decision to act on the findings of a probe panel that investigated the violent suppression of protests on September 8 and 9, 2025, in which 76 people were killed.
The arrests triggered protests by supporters of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), who gathered in Kathmandu's Naya Baneshwor area on Monday carrying placards calling for Oli's release and condemning what they described as "politics of revenge."
While Monday's demonstration remained largely peaceful, earlier protests over the weekend had turned violent, leaving several party workers injured in clashes with riot police.
On Sunday, the Kathmandu District Court remanded Oli and Lekhak to five days of judicial custody.
Oli is currently undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, where he was admitted after his health condition deteriorated following his arrest.
He is expected to remain hospitalised during the custody period.
In a parallel development, the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, along with Nepal Police, has stepped up investigations into alleged financial irregularities involving several senior political figures, including former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The intensified probe follows the arrest of former minister Deepak Khadka in a money laundering case.
Authorities suspect Khadka of receiving financial benefits in exchange for facilitating project licences and contracts during his tenure as energy minister.
He was also admitted to the same hospital on Monday after reporting health issues.
The investigation gained momentum after preliminary enquiries over the past six months reportedly uncovered discrepancies, prompting authorities to widen the scope of scrutiny.
Evidence linked to the case includes images and forensic findings from last year's protests that allegedly showed burnt currency fragments at residences associated with Khadka and other senior leaders.