KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 21
Nearly six months after the violent Gen Z protests, more than 8,226 inmates remain missing from prisons and juvenile centers across Nepal.
According to the Department of Prison Management, 6,328 escapees have returned-some surrendering voluntarily, others captured by police-but the nationwide manhunt continues.
During the September 8–9 unrest, 14,555 detainees fled from 28 prisons and nine juvenile facilities. Of these, 13,591 were prison inmates and 964 were juvenile detainees.
Police report that about 2,000 additional suspects escaped from custody during the protests. Nepal's prison population now stands at 21,999, down from over 30,600 before the riots.
Only two inmates still missing in Baitadi
In Baitadi district, 60 of 62 escapees from the local prison have been recaptured or have returned, officials said.
The September 9 jailbreak saw inmates smash gates and set fires before fleeing. Authorities confirmed that four were caught in India, while a joint security team continues searching for the remaining two.
Overcrowding remains a challenge: the prison built for 25 inmates was holding nearly triple that number when the incident occurred.
