Nepal's ex-PM returns despite arrest warrant

Former Nepalese prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has returned to the country despite an arrest warrant issued against him in a corruption case. The 80-year-old veteran politician returned on Thursday, August 13, after nearly six months abroad for medical treatment.

According to a report by AFP, Deuba waved and smiled at hundreds of supporters who had gathered by the roadside as he left Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Police were deployed at the airport and at the gathering of supporters for his security.

Nepal Police spokesperson Abhi Narayan Kafle said police were ensuring Deuba's security as a former prime minister, while the case against him is being handled by the money laundering investigation department.

Police issued an arrest warrant against Deuba in April over allegations of money laundering. After the fall of his government amid the Jan-Ji movement, the legal process was initiated against him under the administration of new Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

Deuba had left Nepal for medical treatment in February and had been staying abroad since. The five-time former prime minister has denied all allegations against him. He is expected to attend his party's three-day convention beginning on Friday, August 14.

An arrest warrant has also been issued against Deuba's wife and former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba. The warrants were issued a month after Balendra Shah's landslide victory in elections held following deadly protests in September last year.

Since coming to power, the Shah administration has launched a crackdown on heavyweight politicians. In March, former prime minister K P Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak were also briefly arrested over allegations of suppressing the 2025 protests.

The youth-led movement, which began in protest against a temporary ban on social media, eventually turned into an outburst of pent-up anger over Nepal's long-standing corruption and economic crisis. Protesters set fire to parliament and other government buildings, leading to the government's collapse. Deuba's residence was also set on fire during this time, and videos of attacks on the couple circulated online.

A large amount of cash was also recovered from Deuba's residence. In his statement to the investigation commission, he claimed the videos were false and part of a conspiracy, though he said he did not know who was behind them. The commission has recommended further investigation into the alleged recovery of money from Deuba's property.