Kathmandu, April 6 Nepal's Supreme Court ordered authorities to complete the investigation against former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak by Thursday, or release them from custody.
Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and Lekhak, a senior leader of the Nepali Congress, were arrested last month on charges of alleged involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9 last year, in which 76 people died.
On Sunday, a district court extended their detention for the third time by five more days after the police sought more time to investigate the case. The judicial detention was set to expire on Thursday.
On Monday, a joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Binod Sharma and Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued an order stating that the investigation period for Oli and Lekhak should not be extended.
"Complete the investigation and take necessary legal action, or release Oli and Lekhak from custody in accordance with the National Criminal Procedure Code," The Kathmandu Post reported, quoting the court order.
If a decision on prosecution is agreed, authorities should proceed accordingly. If not, the two must be released upon expiry of the remand period, it said.
The apex court gave the verdict in response to separate habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of Oli and Lekhak at the court.
Commenting on the development, senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi said that Oli and Lekhak are likely to be released on bail on Thursday.
A probe commission formed by the interim government led by Sushila Karki recommended legal action against Oli and Lekhak in its report on inquiring into the Gen Z protests, holding them responsible for the deaths.
Oli, 75, is currently admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital because he is suffering from various diseases.
The police have been recording his explanations on the case from his hospital bed. The statement of 62-year-old Lekhak is being recorded under police detention.
Their arrests came after the newly formed Balendra Shah government decided to implement the probe commission's report on the Gen Z protests in its first cabinet meeting.