Record number of fugitives arrested in Home Minister Lekhak’s first year

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Home Affairs under Ramesh Lekhak has set a record in the enforcement of court verdicts, with the highest-ever number of fugitive convicts arrested in a single year.

Since assuming office, Home Minister Lekhak has prioritized legal and policy reforms while also pressing for aggressive implementation of court decisions.

As a result, police across the country arrested 24,382 fugitives in fiscal year 2024/25, a 65.08 percent rise compared to the 14,764 arrests in FY 2023/24. In FY 2022/23, police had arrested 11,902 fugitives, according to DIG Binod Ghimire, spokesperson of Nepal Police.

The data shows that the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, led the campaign with 6,375 arrests, the highest among provincial police units. Similarly, Madhes Province Police caught 5,712 fugitives, Lumbini Province Police 3,996, Koshi Province Police 3,489, Bagmati Province Police 1,703, Gandaki Province Police 1,491, Sudurpaschim Province Police 928, Karnali Province Police 556, and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) 132.

In addition, police collected over Rs 1.5 billion in fines during the same period. Kathmandu Police Range alone accounted for 5,585 arrests, making it the single most effective unit nationwide. Its chief, SSP Bhupendra Khatri, said the office pursued special strategies and daily operations in the densely populated capital to enforce verdicts and bring fugitives to justice.

“These achievements are not limited to law enforcement but also prove that effective use of limited manpower and resources can deliver strong results,” SSP Khatri noted.

The Ministry has also stepped up efforts in sensitive cases, including cooperative fraud. In Lekhak’s first year, 82 cooperative-related cases were filed, leading to the arrest of 45 individuals, including figures linked to high-level political circles.

According to the Home Ministry, enforcing verdicts remains a top priority under the Nepal Police’s annual performance agreement, as part of the broader campaign to end impunity and strengthen rule of law.