Nepal: Amid Gen Z protest, prisoners escape after arson at Rajbiraj jail

RAJBIRAJ: Amid Gen Z protests in Nepal, chaos erupted at Rajbiraj prison in Saptari, Nepal, on Wednesday afternoon when inmates set fire to Block B, leading to several prisoners escaping, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The prison’s chief, Ganga Yogi, confirmed the arson attack sparked the fire, prompting security personnel to fire tear gas in an attempt to regain control. Despite their efforts, some inmates managed to flee the facility, which housed 397 prisoners at the time.

A fire engine was dispatched to douse the flames, while personnel from the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police were deployed to reinforce security and track down the escaped inmates, The Kathmandu Post said.

Meanwhile, tensions at Birgunj prison in Parsa eased after security forces quelled an hour-long unrest. Inmates had attempted to break out by damaging the southern wall, but authorities brought the situation under control using aerial shots and tear gas, resulting in four prisoners sustaining minor injuries. Repair work on the damaged wall is currently under way.

Prison chief Khemraj Bhusal stated that the situation was eventually brought under control following hours of effort by security forces.

“Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and the Nepali Army fired more than ten rounds of aerial shots and tear gas to disperse the unrest,” Bhusal said, adding that four inmates sustained minor injuries during the incident. He further noted that repair work on the damaged southern wall is currently underway.

In the aftermath of the breach, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) swiftly apprehended five prisoners who had escaped from the jail and were attempting to cross into India, officials said.

The prisoners were caught along the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district while attempting to infiltrate into Indian territory.

According to officials, the escapees were intercepted by SSB personnel during a check at the border outpost and were immediately taken into custody.
Subsequently, these prisoners were later handed over to the local police for further investigation and legal action.

Officials said the five were held as they could not show any valid identity proofs to the SSB troops deployed on the border. “During initial inquiry, it was found that they were among those prisoners who escaped from Nepal jail yesterday,” the official, requesting anonymity said.

A large number of inmates escaped the Dillibazar jail in Nepal’s Kathmandu amid chaos during the ongoing anti-corruption protests.

The SSB, one of the Central Armed Police Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is tasked with guarding India’s 1,751-km-long open border with Nepal and the 699-km stretch along Bhutan, is vigilant since unrest following ‘Gen-Z’ led protests across Nepal.

Officials said the prisoners were held due to vigilance by SSB troops. However, the Nepalese Army has been deployed in and around the jail to prevent further escalation, as law enforcement struggles to maintain control in the capital.

This comes as the police reportedly withdrew from their post in Nepal, except for the police headquarters. (ANI)