Former Nepal premier Deuba returns home, faces graft probe

Former Nepal prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, facing potential arrest for alleged corruption, returned to his home in Kathmandu on Thursday, six months after traveling abroad for medical treatment. The 80-year-old opposition leader, a prominent member of the Nepali Congress party, was greeted by hundreds of supporters lining the streets of the capital as he waved and smiled.

In April, police issued an arrest warrant against Deuba on charges of money laundering, making him the latest high-profile individual targeted under Prime Minister Balendra Shah's new administration. Deuba, who left Nepal in February, has categorically denied the allegations. The case is being handled by Nepal's Department of Money Laundering Investigation, with authorities providing security for the former prime minister at the airport and during a rally in the city.

Deuba's wife, former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, has also been named in a warrant. These warrants were issued a month after Shah's landslide victory in the elections held in the aftermath of deadly protests in September 2025. The Nepali Congress president's term ended in January after younger party members demanded a leadership change.

Shah's government has since launched a broad crackdown on prominent political figures following the protests, which were initially sparked by a temporary social media restriction but evolved into a broader movement against corruption and economic difficulties.

Deuba's tenure as party president concluded in January, following a push from younger party members for a leadership change. Since taking office, Shah's administration has taken a tough stance against high-profile politicians, arresting former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Ex-home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in March on alleged ties to the September protests.

The unrest was initially triggered by a brief social media ban but was fueled by deep-seated grievances over corruption and economic hardships in Nepal. Protests resulted in the burning of the parliament building and other government offices, with Deuba's residence among the structures set ablaze; videos showing protesters attacking the couple circulated widely online.

Cash was reportedly found at the property during searches. During testimony to a commission investigating the protests, Deuba dismissed the circulating videos as potentially fabricated, asserting they were part of a conspiracy against him. The commission has recommended additional investigations into the cash allegedly found at Deuba's residence and other properties.