Kathmandu
Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Kanchanpur Jail overcrowded with prisoners

July 19, 2025
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KANCHANPUR: The district jail in Mahendranagar is holding three times more prisoners than its capacity.

Although the District Prison Office Kanchanpur has a capacity of 160 prisoners for women and men, the prison is holding 456 prisoners, three times more than its capacity.

Currently, 27 women and 26 Indian citizens are imprisoned in the prison, informed Ramdutt Joshi, acting chief of the Kanchanpur Prison Office.

According to him, the maximum number of prisoners in the prison is 167, who are drug addicts. “The prison has a capacity of 20 female prisoners and 140 male prisoners.” He said, “Since there are more prisoners than the capacity, tents have been arranged.”

He said that the number of prisoners in the prison reached 580 last month. “Now, the number of prisoners is decreasing as the courts are speeding up the decision of cases.” Joshi said, “We do not have to live under the open sky like before. We have arranged tents and tins to keep the prisoners.”

Prisoners have also been transferred from other districts to the prison. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sagar Bohara, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, said that the crime rate has increased recently as people are involved in other criminal activities due to drug use.

“Criminal incidents have also increased due to drugs.” He said, “Drug users commit theft, fraud, extortion and even murder.” He said that the number of prisoners in prison has increased due to the increase in criminal incidents due to drugs.

“People are found to be using drugs for entertainment after visiting friends’ houses.” He said, “Once they use drugs, they become addicted and the easy access due to open borders has also increased the number of users.”

Kanchanpur District Jail currently has the highest number of drug inmates. Similarly, prisoners for violence against women, theft, fraud, extortion, murder and other cases are kept.