A leaked report from a high-level commission in Nepal has called for the criminal prosecution of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli over a deadly youth uprising that toppled his government and reshaped the country’s political landscape.

The commission, formed under interim prime minister and former chief justice Sushila Karki, investigated the September 2025 protests that erupted after a brief social media ban but quickly widened into a nationwide anti-corruption revolt driven by anger over unemployment, inflation and entrenched political patronage.

According to the leaked findings, at least 77 people were killed during two days of unrest, with 19 protesters shot dead on the first day alone. Autopsy data cited in the report show that 48 of 63 examined bodies bore bullet wounds, most to the head or chest, suggesting security forces used lethal force against largely unarmed demonstrators, many of them young people and some minors.

The commission concluded that Oli, then serving his fourth term as prime minister and leading the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist, should face investigation, inquiry and prosecution as the executive head responsible for the security apparatus. While the report says it could not establish a formal “order to shoot,” it accuses Oli and his team of failing to act to halt the firing, describing their behaviour as negligent and contributing directly to the death toll.

Former interior minister Ramesh Lekhak and ex-police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung are also named for possible prosecution. The report states that Lekhak, who oversaw home affairs and security agencies, bore “overall responsibility” for maintaining law and order but did not take adequate steps to prevent further casualties once the scale of the crackdown became clear.

The protests saw parliament and multiple government offices torched, forcing Oli from office and paving the way for snap elections. Those polls delivered a landslide victory to the upstart Rastriya Swatantra Party, led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra “Balen” Shah, who campaigned on dismantling the old guard and tackling corruption.

Commission member Bigyan Raj Sharma said investigators interviewed more than 200 witnesses and compiled a 900-page report supported by thousands of pages of documentary and forensic evidence. Although Karki’s office has pledged to make the report public, only the leaked excerpts have circulated so far, fuelling demands from victims’ families and protest leaders for full disclosure and swift legal action.