KATHMANDU: Seven student activists, including the central chairman of the CPN (UML)-aligned ANNFSU, Deepak Dhami, were arrested by police on Wednesday morning outside the main gates of Singha Durbar.

Alongside Dhami, security forces detained senior student leaders Jit Prasad Sitaula, Bishal Khadka, Rabi Magar, Bishnu Uparkoti, Sudip Thapa, and Siris Budhathoki.

The entire group was swept up by police directly at the entrance of the country’s central administrative hub and taken into custody to prevent further escalation.

The arrests were triggered after the activists intentionally breached a highly secured, designated no-protest zone to launch a sudden demonstration.

To maximize impact, the group parked their motorcycles directly in front of the south gate, completely blocking the roadway and causing a chaotic traffic jam.

Holding placards with slogans demanding that “the voice of the poor not be suppressed,” the demonstrators began chanting before police intervened, cleared the vehicles, and escorted the protesters away to restore public order.