KATHMANDU: A group of protesters, including leaders and supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), descended on Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur on September 9, the second day of the Gen Z movement. They engaged in an attack and vandalism, demanding the release of RSP President Rabi Lamichhane.

Faced with escalating tensions and a security threat, the prison administration released Lamichhane temporarily. After the situation was stabilized, the prison issued a notice for all inmates to return. Lamichhane has since returned to prison on September 13.

The news of Lamichhane’s release quickly spread nationwide, sparking a wave of unrest. Inmates, reportedly angered by the perceived injustice, chanted, “You release Rabi, and keep us imprisoned?” as they began to flee prisons. This widespread vandalism and mass exodus led to an immediate crime wave.

On September 9, Deepak Sunar, 35, a convict serving a nine-year sentence for rape, escaped from Kanchanpur Prison. He was among 458 prisoners who broke out. Later that same evening, he was accused of attempted rape, leading to his arrest and return to prison on September 10.

Following Lamichhane’s release, a wave of prison breaks occurred, with 26 jails across the country breached. A staggering 14,549 inmates escaped, though the Department of Prison Management reports that 4,774 have since returned or been recaptured. This leaves 9,775 inmates, many convicted of serious offenses like murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery, and drug-related crimes, currently at large.

The large number of fugitives has spread fear throughout society. The public’s feeling of insecurity has been compounded by the recent protests on September 9, which saw police buildings set on fire and uniforms and weapons looted, severely weakening the morale of the police force. This has left many feeling a lack of festive spirit as security concerns overshadow the holiday season.

Despite the presence of a District Police Office, a District Administration Office, and a Nepal Army barracks, residents of Ward 10 in Bharatpur Metropolitan City are gripped by a feeling of insecurity. Concerned about public safety, locals are visiting the ward office daily. “Peace and order are slowly being established, but people keep coming and asking for security, fearing that some unpleasant incident might happen now that the prisoners have escaped,” says Ward Chairman Parameshwor Khanal. He added, “During the festive season, there is no peaceful sleep in society.”

Army personnel recapture inmates who escaped from Dillibazar Jail. Photo: Bikram Rai/Nepal News

Meanwhile, at Central Jail Sundhara, where 3,873 prisoners were held, a mass escape occurred on the night of September 9, between 8 PM and 10 PM, when 3,513 inmates broke out. Jailer Krishna Bahadur Katuwal noted that the escaped prisoners included a significant number of individuals convicted of serious offenses. “In the first position are rape, in the second are murder, in the third are murder, and in the fourth are theft-robbery cases,” he stated, adding, “The process of prisoners returning is ongoing, but naturally, the escape of prisoners increases fear in society.”

During the Gen Z movement, police offices all over the country were vandalized and set on fire. Not only were police weapons and uniforms snatched, but three police officers were killed in Kathmandu. Police officers fled their duties to save their lives. At a time when the morale of the police is low due to burnt buildings and looted uniforms and weapons, criminals who escaped from jail are roaming freely in society. Due to the psychology that more crimes may occur, society is terrified. “We feel that the inmates who escaped from prison are hiding here, and we are scared,” says a woman who runs a tea shop near Central Jail Sundhara.

A young woman from Sindhuli works as a nurse at a private hospital in Kathmandu. She can only return to her rented apartment after 8PM. Her brother is a court employee. The escape of a large number of inmates from several prisons has increased her family’s security concerns. “If something happens, the nearest police office to file a complaint is burnt down,” she says.

On September 10, a tense situation at Dillibazar Jail led inmates to breach the gates and storm outside. However, they were stopped by a joint team from the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army, which had been mobilized with two armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, the wave of jailbreaks and escape attempts resulted in casualties elsewhere. In Banke, Ramechhap, and Dhading, a total of five inmates and five boys from a Juvenile Correction Home were killed by police and army bullets while trying to escape by vandalizing the prisons.

Suspected to have been killed by inmates, police say an investigation is ongoing

On September 9, as the Gen Z movement intensified, police offices in the federal capital Kathmandu became as vulnerable as the officers on duty. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shekhar Khanal, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, 122 buildings under its jurisdiction were completely burned, and an additional 96 police offices were partially damaged. Out of Kathmandu’s 12 police circles, only the Kamalpokhari Police Circle was spared.

Among the buildings destroyed was the Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj. Videos on social media show police officers there being brutally beaten. In that circle, one Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and one constable were killed. Another constable was killed at the Police Sector in Koteshwor.

Regarding the deaths at the Maharajgunj Circle, where two officers were reportedly stabbed by inmates held in the same circle, Nepal Police Spokesperson Binod Ghimire stated that an investigation is underway. “The post-mortem report of the deceased police officers will also tell us,” he added.

On September 8 and September 9, criminal incidents occurred due to infiltration in the protests by the Gen Z group against corruption and bad governance. People who witnessed such activities feel insecure. On top of that, society has become restless after prisoners escaped from one prison after another.

Former DIG of police Hemant Malla Thakuri says that fear naturally increases when prisoners who have been convicted by law and are serving their sentences are out in society. “When inmates are in society, the victim’s family becomes even more insecure, and some inmates hold a desire for revenge and can cause another incident,” he says. Thakuri adds that society needs to be vigilant to protect themselves from such inmates, and the police need to make people feel safe and secure.

According to the Department of Prison Management, there are 30,397 inmates in 75 prisons across the country.

Army personnel recapture inmates who escaped from Dillibazar Jail. Photo: Bikram Rai/Nepal News

Spokesperson Ghimire says that a notice has been issued for inmates who are not in contact with the prison to immediately come into contact. According to him, the concerned prison offices have also issued notices requesting the inmates to return to prison.

According to Ghimire, the details of the escaped inmates have been sent out and a search has begun. “An inmate from one district can also go to another, and many are being arrested from the Indian border as well as various other places by the army, police, and armed police,” he says.

Ghimire says that coordination is ongoing with the Indian police, keeping in mind the possibility of inmates escaping. The police have also made a public appeal to report inmates if they are seen in society.

According to Information officer Neupane of Department of Prison Management, notices have been issued for the inmates to return through the concerned prisons and the police, and some are returning. He says that if the inmates do not return as per the notice, the law will be applied.

According to the Prison Act, 2022, there are provisions for further action against escaped prisoners. Section 49, Subsection (1), Clause (c) of the Act states that if an inmate escapes from an open prison, a reform home, a rehabilitation center, a juvenile reform home, or while on parole, they can be sentenced to up to five years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 50,000, or both.

Jailer Katuwal of Central Jail says, “Discussions are yet to be held with the Ministry of Home Affairs about what additional punishment will be given to the prisoners who escaped from jail.”

The National Human Rights Commission has expressed concern about the possible effects on women, children, decision-makers, and victims of crime and their families due to the escaped prisoners. The commission has issued a statement saying, “When inmates who are serving their sentences escape from prison, it violates the rights of crime victims guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of Nepal, the Crime Victim Protection Act, 2018, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), 1948.” The commission has also asked security agencies to intensify the search for the escaped inmates.

When both suspects in custody and convicted criminals serving sentences escape from prison, it increases fear and mistrust in society while also giving the impression that one can get away with committing a crime. According to former Additional Inspector General of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, the police force is currently without essential resources, with vehicles and uniforms burned to ashes during the recent movement. He stated that it is dangerous for criminals to be free in society while the police are so poorly equipped and suggested that the Home Minister must prioritize boosting police morale and resourcing the force to restore peace and order.

The mass escapes occurred in prisons across 26 districts, including Jhumka in Sunsari, Solu in Solukhumbu, Saptari, Mahottari, Rautahat, Sindhuli, Nakkhu in Lalitpur, Sundhara in Kathmandu, Makwanpur, Rasuwa, Chitwan, Tanahu, Kaski, Parbat, Myagdi, Kapilvastu, Tulsipur in Dang, Naubasta in Banke, Rupandehi, Jumla, Bajhang, Kailali, Dadeldhura, and Kanchanpur.