Kapilvastu, July 26:

Fifteen inmates of the Damauli-based Tanahun District Prison were transferred to the Kapilvastu-based Taulihawa prison yesterday, said acting jailor of the Tanahun prison Padam Raj Khanal.

The Tanahun prison was bursting at its seams. Altogether 56 prisoners were being kept at the Tanahun prison, though it had ample room for 25 prisoners only.

The inmates were transferred as the Kapilvastu prison was found to be almost empty during an inspection.

Prior to the transfer, there were just four prisoners in the Kapilvastu prison. The Kapilvastu prison can accommodate up to 100 prisoners. However, infrastructure of the prison were damaged when the Maoists attacked Kapilvastu on April 7, 2006.

The Maoists had freed 104 prisoners from the prison after the attack. Out of them, only one inmate is at the Kapilvastu prison. Jailor Surya Yadav of the prison said 20 prisoners, who were on parole, have stopped coming to the prison.