KATHMANDU, AUGUST 21

As many as 221 minor inmates were able to successfully escape a well-secured Juvenile Correction Centre at Sano Thimi in Bhaktapur today following a violent clash between police and inmates during a protest against the death of a fellow inmate yesterday.

A large number of Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel who were deployed to take the situation under control reached too late as hundreds had already escaped the area.

The area remained tense all day as limited number of police deployed there were chased away by the hooliganism of teenage inmates. Children were seen walking in groups along the street carrying iron rods and wooden sticks in their hands.

Several videos taken by the locals and police showed angry teenagers pelting stones and bricks and using wooden planks against police officers. Around 20 police personnel were injured in the clash, including an inspector who is in critical condition. The situation took a U-turn after a back-up force of APF came to the scene to take the situation under control.

Police fired in the air and randomly baton-charged the inmates who were outside the centre. Around a dozen children were injured in the clash.

However, before the police could take control of the situation, a total of 221 out of 297 inmates had escaped from the centre.

Soon after the inmates escaped police from all three districts of Kathmandu valley were mobilised to arrest them. Over 60 were arrested from Baneshwor area of Kathmandu. Similarly, others were arrested from Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Thimi, Jadibuti, Pespsicola, and other parts of the valley. By late night, police were able to arrest a total of 194 escapees. However, 27 inmates are still at large.

'We are confident that the remaining inmates will soon be under control as we have intensified the search operation and notified police offices across the country about the situation,' said SP Prajit KC, head of Bhaktapur police.

The area outside the correction centre remained tense from early morning today after inmate Kamal Basnet, 18, of Ramechhap died yesterday within an hour after being rushed to the nearby hospital. Family of the deceased gathered to protest his death outside the centre this morning. Fellow inmates and the deceased's family charged that Kamal died due to torture and negligence inside the correction centre. In fact, there are deep bruises on the leg and upper part of the body of the deceased. The inmates and family said Kamal could have been saved had the authorities taken him to hospital earlier.

'They didn't listen to our plea, but instead I received two slaps when I requested them to take him to the hospital,' said one inmate to locals gathered outside the centre.

Irate inmates said they were poorly treated inside the correction centre and were not provided clean drinking water and proper meal.

'Although, we are entitled to education, there is facility to study only up to Grade X. How can we pursue higher education on our own?' said another inmate.

The correction centre is operated by a non-government organisation called Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs Nepal. Since all the inmates residing here are minors, they are not supervised under the direct control of Nepal Police. No arms or batons are allowed inside the premises of the centre.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.