During the Gen-Z protest on September 8 and 9, a total of 270 inmates who escaped from Kaski Prison are still at large. According to Jail Chief Rajendra Sharma, there were 773 inmates in Kaski Jail before the incident. This included 35 women in the women’s block and 738 men in the men’s block. Sharma said that while 521 inmates have either been found by police or returned voluntarily, the search for the remaining 270 continues.
The jail administration has repeatedly requested the escaped inmates to return voluntarily, but many have not yet made contact as per Sharma. The search operation has been intensified through the police. Most of the escapees were serving sentences for offenses such as rape, drug trafficking, killing, theft, banking fraud, fatal road accidents, cooperative fraud, child sexual abuse, indecent behavior, and forgery. Similarly, 109 boys escaped from the Child Reform Home in Gyarjati, Pokhara. According to Reform Home Chief Dasi Paudel, 96 of them have returned so far, while the remaining are still absconding. The authorities are making efforts to encourage the children to return voluntarily through psychological counseling and legal guidance.
Most of the boys who escaped from the reform home had been sent there on charges related to rape. The District Administration Office and the District Police Office, Kaski, have stated that the search for the escaped juveniles is still ongoing.
Sanjay Ranabhat