Kathmandu, Sept 25: Society remains tense after thousands of prisoners escaped during the September 24 Gen Z protests. Their presence outside prison walls has created a major security risk and increased the possibility of them fleeing abroad. As of Wednesday noon, 6,813 prisoners are still at large.
The Department of Prison Management has begun updating records of fugitives and sharing data with the Department of Immigration to stop them from leaving the country. Director Chomendra Nyaupane said the process includes collecting citizenship and passport details despite many prison files being destroyed when facilities were attacked and burned. Immigration Director General Ram Chandra Tiwari confirmed that his office has started monitoring based on the data received and will blacklist fugitives in the system once all names arrive.
The mass escape has already triggered stricter visa checks in some countries. Travelers report Indian immigration has tightened screening at open borders fearing Nepali fugitives may enter.
In total, 13,585 inmates from 28 prisons and 946 from nine juvenile centers escaped during the unrest, making 14,549 in all. Authorities have recaptured or seen the voluntary return of 7,735, leaving 6,191 from prisons and 622 from juvenile centers still missing.
The situation has led to serious crimes. Sant Bahadur Tamang, who escaped from Nakkhu prison, returned to his hometown in Panauti and murdered his wife before secretly going back to prison. He was serving time for rape and had only one month left. Similarly, Deepak Sunar, who fled Kanchanpur prison, attempted to rape a 50-year-old woman but was caught by locals and handed to police.
Police fear more crimes as nearly 7,000 fugitives roam free during festival season. Experts warn theft, robbery, and assaults may rise. The security system is overstretched: many police posts were burned during protests and officers face shortages of arms and ammunition.
Authorities face dual challenges: recapturing fugitives and maintaining public safety during upcoming festivities.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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