The inquiry commission formed to investigate the incidents of September 8–9 has lifted the movement restrictions on CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli, who was prime minister during the protests, a day after recording his statement at his Gundu-based residence in Bhaktapur.

A commission team had reached Oli’s residence on Sunday to take his statement. Oli had been publicly questioning the neutrality of the commission and had refused to appear at its office. Oli accused commission chair Gauri Bahadur Karki himself of being biased against him. The commission, however, remained firm that his statement must be recorded in some form.

Bigyan Raj Sharma, a member of the inquiry panel, said that the movement ban was lifted after Oli submitted his written response. “We took the decision after we received the written statement of the former prime minister,” Sharma said.

The commission on Sunday delivered an official notice at his residence, prompting Oli to hand over his written statement on the spot.

The movement restrictions were imposed on Oli, then home minister Ramesh Lekhak and several other senior officials as the panel probed the deadly suppression of youth protests. Similar restrictions on other officials were lifted immediately after the commission recorded their statements.

The government formed the three-member inquiry commission, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, to probe allegations of use of excessive force, rights violations and political mismanagement during the youth-led Gen Z uprising. A total of 77 people lost their lives during the Gen Z protests. Of them, 19 were killed on the first day of the protests.

Meanwhile, Oli also recorded his statement before the National Human Rights Commission as well. The former prime minister who refused to appear before the Karki-led panel was present in person at the NHRC on the same day.

During the question-answer session that lasted for over two and half hours, Oli denied personal involvement in ordering the police force to open fire on the first day of protest, said an official privy to the process. Oli reportedly argued that the prime minister does not issue orders to the police, according to the official.