Kathmandu, December 20

As many as 984 foreign nationals are currently doing time for various crimes in 38 prisons across the country, according the Department of Prison Management.

Any foreign national, who commits crime on Nepali soil, is liable to fine and jail sentence as per the existing laws of the country. According to recent statistics by the DoPM, the number of foreigners in Nepali jails has shot up to 984 as of November 15 compared to 850 in corresponding period of last year.

Charles Sobhraj, a French who is also also known as Bikini Killer, is one of the most notorious foreign prisoners doing time in Nepal.

A majority of foreign jailbirds are serving their sentences for drug smuggling, human trafficking, banking offence, smuggling of fake currency notes, fraud, murder, forgery of passport and citizenship certificate. They are mainly Indians, Bhutanese, Chinese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Tanzanians, Africans, French, Romanians and Bulgarians, among others.

Of the total foreign inmates, 174 are in the Central Jail, 31 in Dilli Bazaar Prison of Kathmandu and 51 in Nakkhu Jail of Lalitpur.

Similarly, Parsa houses 200 jailbirds, which is the largest number of foreigners. They are mostly Indians and were punished for their involvement in cross-border crimes. Five foreigners are in Ilam, 63 in Jhapa, one in Terhathum, two in Dhankuta, 45 in Morang, 75 in Sunsari, 13 in Saptari, nine in Siraha, eight in Ramechhap, three in Sindhuli, 24 in Mahottari, three in Rasuwa, six in Dhading, three in Kavre, 38 in Makwanpur, seven in Chitwan, 12 in Rautahat, 27 in Kaski, one in Syangja, 15 in Rupandehi, eight in Kapilvastu, 18 in Nawalparasi, 19 in Palpa, two each in Parbat and Myagdi, 12 in Dang, 51 in Banke, 10 in Bardiya, two in Dailekh, 28 in Kailali and one each in Darchula and Dadeldhura.

The country has 74 prisons in 72 of 75 districts. Bhaktapur, Bara and Dhanusha districts do not have any prison, while Kathmandu and Dang have two prisons each.