SARLAHI, Sept 10: A total of 983 prisoners have escaped from three jails in the Madhesh region.
The jailbreaks occurred at Rajbiraj Jail in Saptari, Jaleshwar Jail in Mahottari and Gaur Jail in Rautahat. Apart from Dhanusha and Bara, six other districts in Madhesh have prisons.
From Saptari’s Rajbiraj Jail, 205 prisoners escaped, of which 31 have been recaptured, Chief District Officer (CDO) Tuwaraj Pokharel said. Around 1:00 PM, the inmates set fire inside the jail in an attempt to escape. While police were controlling the fire, prisoners fled. “We have captured 31 so far and are continuing the search for the rest. They may have crossed into India,” CDO Pokharel added.
The jailbreaks follow the precedent set after Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane was released from Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur during the Gen Z protests. Following this, prisoners in other jails also intensified protests internally and escaped.
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From Jaleshwar Jail in Mahottari, all 576 inmates escaped on Tuesday evening. These prisoners were involved in a case related to the killing of Armed Police Sub-Inspector Thaman BK and were freed during the protest.
Gaur jail saw 233 prisoners escape. Out of 291 inmates, all but 24 managed to flee after vandalizing the facility.
In Malangwa Jail in Sarlahi, prisoners attempted to escape by setting fires early Tuesday morning, but all three security forces successfully prevented the escape. Controlling the fire required security personnel to use rounds of warning shots and tear gas. This jail houses the controversial religious figure Ram Bahadur Bamjan, whose supporters attempted to free him.
In Birgunj, tensions rose after an escape attempt, forcing the Nepali Army to open fire to control the situation. The army has since been deployed to many jails across the country.
Parsa CDO Toyanarayan Subedi confirmed that security forces successfully contained the situation, which is now under control. Siraha Jail remains peaceful.
Since most Madhesh prisons are located near district headquarters and close to the border, authorities suspect that several escapees may have crossed into India.
Authorities have warned that the escapees have created insecurity and fear in society, and the search operation is ongoing.
