KATHMANDU: Rajesh Jha, also known as ‘Ahiraj’, who was appointed as the Chief of Madhesh Province during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s tenure, has been arrested in connection with a rape case.

He was taken into custody from Kathmandu on Sunday based on a complaint filed on Falgun 3, 2081 BS, according to Kathmandu District Police spokesperson SP Apilraj Bohora.

The Kathmandu District Court has granted a five-day extension for police custody as the investigation continues.

A woman, using a changed identity, filed a complaint stating that Jha had raped her when she was a minor.

According to the report, the alleged abuse began when she was just 17 years old—an age that falls under the legal definition of a minor in Nepal.

Under Nepalese law, any sexual act with a minor is considered rape, even if consensual.

Police say the victim initially approached the National Women Commission seeking help. Later, with the support of rights activists, she formally filed a complaint at the Kathmandu District Police Office on Magh 10, 2081 BS, which was officially registered on Falgun 3.

After the complaint was filed, police began preparing to issue an arrest warrant. However, Jha reportedly fled to India shortly after, evading initial attempts to apprehend him.

Jha, who was appointed provincial head on Falgun 7, 2077 BS, has long portrayed himself as both a nationalist and Madhesh-centric activist.