Nepal is struggling with one of its greatest security dilemmas in decades following violent anti-government protests that instigated mass jailbreaks across the nation. Authorities said that over 12,500 prisoners are still at large after the riots, and over 15,000 prisoners escaped from over 20 prisons this week alone. Gen Z protesters spearheaded much of the protests, which were driven by agitation over graft and the government’s ban on social media, forcing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday.
The police have re-apprehended some of the escapees, including some who were close to the India-Nepal border, but authorities say the scale of the jailbreaks has been so immense that it has left the system stretched. According to Nepal Police statistics quoted by a news agency, about 12,500 inmates remain on the loose, and thus, this is one of the biggest prison breakages in South Asia history.
India has also intensified security along its porous border with Nepal (1,751km) to ensure its fugitives do not penetrate. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which oversees the frontier, has increased roadblocks at every entry point. Since there are a great number of people who are escaping and have no valid documents, border officials are paying more attention to checking documents in detail. The SSB officials arrested nearly 60 people within two days at border posts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The majority are suspected to be Nepali escapees, and some of those who claim to be Indians are being verified.
The Home Affairs ministry has deployed close to 60,000 SSB troops in the border states of Nepal, supported by combined patrols with the Nepal armed police force and flag marches to indicate readiness.
In the meantime, the police force in Nepal is gradually retaking power in Kathmandu Valley, which had dozens of stations burnt or destroyed during the demonstrations. Officials pointed out that true citizens with authentic IDs will have free movement of their citizens, and Nepal has been assured the full cooperation of India.
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