Nakkhu Jail that ‘released’ RSP chief Lamicchane urges all escapees to surrender
The Nakkhu Prison Administration has called on all inmates (both detainees and convicts) who escaped on September 9 — the second day of youth-led protests against corruption — to surrender.
This is the same prison which had handed over Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chief Rabi Lamichhane to his family’s custody. Lamichhane, facing trial for embezzling cooperative funds, was brought to Nakkhu Jail, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, from Rupandehi, a district about 270 km southwest of Kathmandu.
Issuing a public appeal, the prison administration warned that staying on the run and avoiding legal processes would harm the escapees.
On September 9, as protests turned violent, prison authorities “released” Lamichhane citing security concerns. Soon after, more than 3,000 inmates escaped.
The prison administration said in its statement, “We request all parties to assist in facilitating the surrender of the escapees, as an expression of respect for due process, the law, and social responsibility.”
More than 12,500 prisoners are reported to have escaped from jails across the country during the Gen Z protests in which, according to updated figures, 51 people died.
-Sanjeev Satgainya
