Hundreds of prisoners still missing after jailbreaks

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 14: Hundreds of prisoners are still missing after mass escapes during the Gen-Z protests on September 10, 2025, according to police.

At least 1,081 inmates and juveniles escaped from prisons and rehabilitation centers in several districts, including Mahottari, Banke, Rukum West, Jumla, Kaski and Tanahun. By Saturday, only about 228 had been recaptured or returned voluntarily, leaving more than 850 fugitives still on the run.

The largest breakout occurred at Jaleshwar Prison in Mahottari, where 576 inmates fled after protesters attacked the compound. Officials said only 111 had returned so far, including 13 handed over by Indian police.

Our Rukum West correspondent reported that police have recaptured 51 out of 88 prisoners who escaped from Rukum West Prison last Tuesday during the Gen-Z protests.

According to Police Inspector Hari Prasad Pun, Spokesperson for the District Police Office, the escapees were caught mainly around Khalanga. A total of 158 inmates were housed in the prison at the time, of whom 88 broke out by smashing the main gate.

Authorities have appealed to the escapees to surrender voluntarily, warning of tougher legal penalties if they fail to comply. Locals have also been urged to report any unfamiliar faces in their neighbourhoods. 

Officials stressed that many of the escapees were serving sentences for serious crimes and could pose a risk to society.

According to our Jumla correspondent, police have recaptured 13 prisoners who escaped during the Gen-Z protests on 10 September.

DSP Rabin Babu Regmi said five were caught immediately on the night of the escape, while others have been returning or arrested in stages -- two on 11 September, four on September 12, five on September 13.

In total, 40 prisoners attempted to flee, 35 initially succeeded. Twenty-three remain at large.

In Banke, out of 342 inmates and juveniles who escaped from two juvenile reform centres and one prison in Banke during the Gen-Z protests, only 47 have been recaptured so far, police said.

From the Naubasta Juvenile Reform Centre and Jayandu Juvenile Reform Centre in Duduwa, 195 boys fled. Among them 34 have been brought back. From Naubasta Regional Prison, 147 inmates escaped, 13 have been caught.

Similarly, in Gorkha, six prisoners who escaped from Kaski and Tanahun prisons during the Gen-Z protests have been arrested in Gorkha, police confirmed.

Five of them -- Sonam Dorje Lama, Chhewang Lama, Sonam Gyaljen Lama, Tenzin Rikdel Lama and Rajesh Bishwo Sunar -- were serving time in Kaski on murder charges. The sixth, Bishal Uparkoti of Siran Chok-8, had escaped from Tanahun prison where he was serving a sentence for theft.

They are currently being held in Gorkha District Police custody and will be returned to their respective prisons. In Mahottari, despite repeated appeals, most of the 576 inmates who fled Jaleshwar Prison in Mahottari during the Gen-Z protests remain at large.

Prison officials said only 111 had returned by Saturday afternoon. Thirteen were handed over by Indian police, 97 came back voluntarily, and one had never left.

The breakout occurred on September 10 when protesters attacked the prison with sticks and encouraged inmates to escape by breaking the walls.

Locals have accused security forces of negligence, saying that the District Police Office is located just 50 metres from the prison. One inmate, who asked not to be named, claimed some security personnel actively encouraged prisoners to leave, telling them it was unsafe to stay.

Prison officials warned that escapees who do not surrender will face harsher penalties under the Prison Act.