New Delhi: With Nepal’s government toppled following widespread civil unrest, the country is now facing a surge in prison breaks across districts. With hundreds escaping from detention centres, even the military is struggling to maintain control. According to The Kathmandu Post, two inmates were shot dead by the Nepali Army and seven injured when attempting to flee the Dhading district prison Wednesday.
By Wednesday afternoon, four jailbreak incidents were reported in districts including Mahottari, Nawalparasi West, Saptari, and Kathmandu. India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has taken into custody 22 individuals who fled prisons in the neighbouring country, sources in the security establishment told ThePrint.
They were taken into custody at different checkpoints in Uttar Pradesh including in the Siddharth Nagar district, which comes under the Gorakhpur sector of the force.
These prisoners were believed to have fled jail Tuesday evening as protestors stormed two prisons, including the Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur.
“The intelligence gathering mechanism was further strengthened as soon as reports emerged of a prison break in Nepal. We maintain a cordial relationship with our counterparts in the Armed Police Force (APF), facilitating the exchange of information and intelligence. We are in touch with the Nepalese authorities, and these prisoners would be handed over to them after due procedures,” a source aware of the development told ThePrint.
Raised in 1963, after the India-China war of 1962, the SSB has been manning the approximately 1,751-kilometre long land border with Nepal across five states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim since 2001.
The sources in the security establishment further said that patrolling as well as surveillance across all the sectors and border entry-exit points have been strengthened.
“There is a full curfew in Nepal, and hence the APF has stopped the entry of any individuals from our side of the border. To stop crowding and keep things under control at the checkpoints, even the local formation of the SSB has been asked to appeal to people looking to enter Nepal to not come near the border,” another officer in the security establishment told ThePrint.
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The prison breaks
In Nepal, the crisis is escalating rapidly. The Nepal Army, along with the Armed Police Force and civil police, has launched a crackdown to regain control of facilities and urban centers affected by the unrest. In the most recent instance, in Maharajgunj, four individuals involved in the looting of a Bhatbhateni Supermarket were arrested by military personnel Wednesday afternoon, as isolated acts of vandalism and theft followed.
The jailbreaks began after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane, who had been detained over a cooperative savings case, was reportedly brought out to speak to protesters at the Nakkhu Prison Tuesday afternoon.
Footage shared on social media by RSP central member Krantishikha Dhital shows Lamichhane addressing demonstrators from what appeared to be within the prison premises. While reports suggested he may have been temporarily released to calm tensions and prevent further violence, there has been no official confirmation of his release from custody.
The Nepal Army, in coordination with other security forces, has ramped up efforts to crack down on ongoing lootings and a series of prison breaks across the country.
Inmates at the Rajbiraj prison in Saptari escaped Wednesday afternoon after a fire broke out inside the facility. According to Ganga Yogi, the chief of Rajbiraj prison who was quoted by The Kathmandu Post, the blaze began when inmates launched an arson attack.
Despite security personnel firing multiple rounds of tear gas in an attempt to regain control, some prisoners managed to flee the scene. Local reports did not mention the number of inmates who had broken out. At the time of the incident, the prison was housing a total of 397 inmates.
According to a Kathmandu Post report, in a separate incident in the Dillibazar and Narayanthan areas of Kathmandu, suspicious individuals abandoned Rs 232,500 (INR 1,44,620.35) and $2,500 (2,20,246 INR) and fled upon seeing security personnel.
One more looted weapon was recovered during the operation, bringing the total number of recovered weapons to 32.
The report stated that the Nepal Army has taken 26 inmates who had escaped from the district prison in Dadeldhura into custody. Security forces also thwarted an attempted prison break at the Central Prison in Dillibazar, Kathmandu. Inmates there set fires in an attempt to escape, prompting the deployment of security forces who have since cordoned off the area. The prisoners had taken to the streets chanting slogans before being contained.
In Nawalparasi West in Parasi district, housing over 500 inmates, inmates escaped prison after setting fires inside the facility and chanting demands for release. Despite security efforts, most of the inmates managed to flee, according to local reports. The army, police, and armed police forces were deployed inside the prison to manage the unrest.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, a total of 572 inmates escaped from the Jaleshwar prison in Mahottari. According to Superintendent of Police Heramb Sharma of the District Police Office, the escape occurred around 7 pm when more than 500 protesters armed with sticks allegedly collaborated with inmates who used kitchen firewood to bring down the prison wall. Sharma stated that police were unable to intervene due to the overwhelming situation.
The Nepali Army has also arrested four individuals involved in the robbery at the Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Maharajgunj, as part of a broader crackdown following the violent protests and the series of prison breaks.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Army said several suspects fled upon encountering security patrols in the Dilli Bazaar–Narayanhiti area.
An attempted prison break at the Central Prison in Dilli Bazaar, Kathmandu, was also foiled, according to the Army. Authorities confirmed that operations would continue until all escaped inmates and missing weapons are accounted for, according to Himalayan Times.
The Nepal Army issued a public appeal urging individuals to surrender any weapons, ammunition, or security equipment looted or discarded during the recent Gen Z-led protests. In a notice from the Public Relations and Information Directorate, the Army requested that such items be turned in to the nearest security agency or personnel immediately.
The public has also been asked to report any information about the misuse of looted weapons and to encourage others to surrender them voluntarily. The Army warned that anyone found in possession of unauthorised weapons or using military uniforms without authorisation would face legal action under current laws.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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