Among the inmates who escaped from the district jail, 139, including 11 Indian nationals, have not yet returned. Two children among them also remain out of contact. A total of 743 inmates, including four minors, had escaped from the jail on September 10. Of them, 591 have returned, while nine have reached other jails. Two of those, including children, have reestablished contact, according to Jail Chief Rabindra Prasad Dhungana. Some individuals who had previously made contact have also become unreachable again.
Dhungana stated that letters containing the details and addresses of those still out of contact have been sent to the concerned police units. Most of the missing inmates were convicted of drug-related and rape offenses, he said. Among the fugitives is also one convicted of the rare crime of one-horned rhino poaching.
The jail office had earlier, on October 6, urged all escapees to contact the office. It had also warned that failure to make contact within the given period would result in action under the Prison Act, 2022, and prevailing laws. Dhungana further stated that anyone found hiding or sheltering the fugitives would also be treated as an offender and punished accordingly.
The remaining fugitives include individuals from Nawalparasi (Bardaghat–Susta) East and other districts. Of those who have returned so far, 62 were arrested from various locations by police and brought back to the jail.
District Police Office Chief, Superintendent of Police Govinda Puri, said that all units are actively searching for the escaped inmates. “Everyone’s support and cooperation are essential to arrest the fugitives,” he said.
National News Agency