Former ministers of the royal regime, Kamal Thapa, Shrish Shamsher Rana, Tanka Dhakal, Rameshnath Pandey, and Nikshya Shamsher Rana have been arrested by the government today. The former ministers of Home, Information and Communications, Foreign Affairs, and State respectively were served 30 day detention orders.

They are being kept at the National Police Academy at Maharajgunj, the same place where many pro-democracy supporters were detained by the regime last month. The decision was taken by an emergency meeting of the cabinet held at the Prime Ministers residence Friday evening. The arrested have been charged with making statements aimed at disturbing the public peace.

The cabinet took the decision Friday on the recommendation of a high-level Rayamajhi judicial commision set up this week to probe crackdowns on pro-democracy demonstrations. The commission also recommended the suspension of the heads of the RNA, APF, Nepal Police and the NIB, but till press time no announcement had been made about them.

Sources said Home Minister Krishna Sitaula was in a meeting at the prime minister\'s residence at Baluwatar and a decision would be taken soon. However, a decision on the suspension of the Chief of Army Staff is likely to be made only after a meeting the National Security Council.