BHARATPUR: Prisoners who escaped from Bharatpur prison in Chitwan during Wednesday’s unrest have begun to return voluntarily. According to prison chief Rabindra Dhungana, 54 escapees have returned so far.
A total of 740 inmates had broken out of the overcrowded facility after setting fire to the prison and breaching the security cordon early Wednesday morning. The prison, which has a capacity of 550, housed 740 inmates at the time of the incident, including 46 women.
Dhungana said that many prisoners fled in the chaos, but some have now started returning after calls from the authorities. “The situation on Wednesday was completely different—everyone fled in panic. But now, they may have realized that the government is determined to recapture them,” he said.
Security forces—including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police—were overwhelmed when the inmates began rioting, vandalizing property, and setting fire to the main gate. The situation forced officers to open the prison gates to prevent further casualties.
The return of prisoners is ongoing, and authorities expect more to come back in the coming days.
Comment