KATHMANDU: Nepal on Friday detained five ministers in the former royalist government, the state television said, bowing to demands of pro-democracy activists to act against those responsible for a crackdown on popular anti-king protests.

King Gyanendra gave into last month’s mass demonstrations against his absolute rule and handed power back to political parties after 17 people were killed and thousands injured in the crackdown.

State radio said police had picked up Kamal Thapa, Rameshnath Pandey and Shris Shumsher Rana. Thapa was home minister. Pandey and Rana held the foreign and information posts respectively.—Reuters