Kathmandu, March 30 -- The Supreme Court of Nepal has ruled against the habeas corpus petition of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and issued a show cause order to the government seeking grounds for his arrest.

A single bench led by Justice Meghraj Pokharel turned down the habeas corpus petition filed by Oli's wife, Radhika Shakya, who claimed her husband was being held illegally.

The court issued only a show-cause order to the government, meaning Oli's immediate release is unlikely. Earlier, the Supreme Court had also rejected the release of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, with Justice Kumar Regmi issuing a similar show-cause order.

Following the show-cause order in Lekhak's case filed by his wife, Yashoda Lekhak, he will remai...