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Deepak Khadka, who previously served as Nepal's energy minister, was taken into custody on Sunday as part of a money laundering probe, according to reports from the nation's police.

This arrest occurred just a day after former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak were detained in connection with allegations regarding the suppression of youth-led protests that took place in September. Notably, Oli had stepped down from his position on September 9 amid these protests.

On Friday, Balendra Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, was officially sworn in as the new prime minister.

Shiva Kumar Shrestha, a spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau, confirmed to the media that Khadka was apprehended in relation to the ongoing money laundering investigation.

Shrestha mentioned that the Department of Money Laundering Investigation will be in charge of this case.

Nepal's home affairs minister, Sudan Gurung, shared on social media that Khadka was detained due to the investigation into funds recovered from his home during the protests on September 9. These protests resulted in the deaths of at least 72 individuals and caused extensive damage to both government and private properties.

The unrest was ignited by the government's decision to ban 26 social media platforms on September 4. Although the ban was lifted on September 8, the protests had already transformed into a larger movement against perceived corruption and poor governance.

These demonstrations were primarily driven by younger generations, often referred to as 'Gen Z', encompassing individuals born from the late 1990s to 2010.

Regarding the arrests of Oli and Lekhak, police stated that their detentions followed recommendations from a commission led by former Supreme Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki.

This commission suggested that both the former prime minister and home minister, along with the then Inspector General of Police, should face charges of criminal negligence, which could result in a prison sentence of up to ten years.

The commission's findings indicated that the violent response to the protests stemmed from criminal negligence and a lack of preparedness, which ultimately led to numerous fatalities.