KATHMANDU, Oct 3: During the Gen Z uprising on September 9 last year, Singha Durbar, courts, the federal parliament building, police offices, private homes and business establishments were set ablaze.
While it remains uncertain when those who set fire to public and private property and historical documents will be brought to justice, more than 3,700 prisoners who escaped from jails across the country on the same day and have not returned have emerged as an additional security challenge for the state.
A total of 14,555 prisoners escaped from jails across the country on September 9. Most eventually returned on their own, but 3,742 prisoners serving sentences for serious crimes, including murder, rape, drug trafficking and gold smuggling, remain at large. Police have launched a special operation to track them down.
Aryan Puri, 26, of Sindhupalchok, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of rape. He was sent to Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur to serve his sentence but escaped less than five months later during the Gen Z uprising. With more than 17 years of his sentence remaining, police intensified surveillance of his relatives and acquaintances to locate him. Thirteen months after his escape, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) received information that he was staying in Mandandeupur, Kavre. Acting on the tip-off, police arrested him on September 22.
Similarly, Purushottam Pahari of Godawari, Lalitpur, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of rape, escaped from jail on September 9. He was among the prisoners listed by the Department of Prison Management as requiring immediate arrest. The CIB used various sources of information to track him down and arrested him in September. He still had 17 years of his sentence remaining.
Rajkumar Shrestha, convicted of murder, also escaped during the uprising with four years of his sentence remaining. He was arrested within a year of his escape and is currently back in prison.
Taskforce formed to search and arrest fugitive prisoners
Hark Bahadur Gurung, sentenced to 14 years in prison for incestuous rape, escaped during the uprising with 11 years of his sentence remaining. He too was arrested within a year.
Umesh Rai, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kaski District Court on January 9, 2025, for murder, also escaped from prison on September 9. The Department of Prison Management (DoPM) circulated his name and photograph to relevant offices across the country, including the immigration office. The 33-year-old was subsequently arrested.
These are just some examples of prisoners serving sentences for serious crimes who escaped during the Gen Z uprising. Although many returned on their own and some were arrested by police, more than 3,700 prisoners remain at large. Most of them were convicted of serious crimes.
Dawa Chhiring, who was in judicial custody at the Central Prison in connection with the alleged smuggling of 3.7 tonnes of gold from Hong Kong concealed in brake shoes, was among those who escaped. Nine others facing the same case also fled. The group includes a Belgian national of Chinese origin. It remains unclear whether they are still in Nepal or have crossed the border.
A total of 100 foreign nationals who escaped from prisons during the uprising are also still at large. They include drug traffickers and sharpshooters. Police officials say their continued freedom has increased the risk of them committing further crimes.
Escaped prisoners involved in fresh crimes
Some prisoners who escaped during the Gen Z uprising have also been found involved in new crimes.
Khibahadur BK, who was serving a 25-year sentence for murder at the District Prison in Dang, escaped on September 9. Less than a month later, on September 27, he allegedly attacked a person with a sharp weapon in Tulsipur.
Aakash Magar, who was serving a sentence for drug trafficking at Nakkhu Jail, also escaped on September 9. After escaping, he allegedly committed a more serious crime. About three weeks later, on September 29, he allegedly attacked and killed Suraj Tamang of Makwanpur with a khukuri in Kathmandu's Thamel. Magar is currently serving sentences in drug trafficking and murder cases.
Sant Bahadur Tamang of Panauti, Kavre, who had escaped from Nakkhu Jail while serving a sentence for rape, later went to his home in Panauti and killed his wife.
The CIB has arrested 37 prisoners who escaped from jails during the uprising within a year. Most of those arrested were involved in serious crimes.
According to CIB spokesperson SSP Anupam Shamsher Rana, a special operation is underway to locate prisoners who escaped on September 9. Police are prioritizing those convicted of serious crimes and repeat offenders.
“We have decided to give good marks in performance evaluations to police personnel who arrest fugitive prisoners. Finding these prisoners is our priority,” SSP Rana said.
The DoPM has circulated lists containing details of the fugitive prisoners to police and various government offices. The department had allowed prisoners who returned on their own by the end of September last year to avoid additional punishment. However, Director Chomendra Neupane said additional punishment could be recommended for those who have not returned.
The mass prison escapes during the Gen Z uprising have also prompted countries that previously did not require police reports to begin requesting them. Many countries now require police reports even for ordinary travel.
Ten people died while attempting to escape from prisons during the uprising.
