220 prisoners escaped from Nepal jails after quake

Last month's quake came as a blessing in disguise for 220 prisoners lodged in three jails in Nepal. The prisoners used the opportunity to escape from the damaged structures.

Updated on: May 11, 2015, 20:34:39 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Last month's quake came as a blessing in disguise for 220 prisoners lodged in three jails in Nepal. The prisoners used the opportunity to escape from the damaged structures.

A-cracked-section-of-a-stupa-after-the-earthquake-in-the-Swayambhunath-stupa-complex-Gurinder-Osan-HT-Photo

Most of the escapees, 216 of them, fled from the district prison in Sindhupalchowk, the worst affected district on the April 25 quake. Four others escaped from two prisons in the capital.

"The prison in Sindhupalchowk was completely damaged in the quake and the prisoners took that opportunity to flee," confirmed Nepal Police spokesperson Kamal Singh Bam.

Three prisoners escaped from central jail in Kathmandu while one more fled from a separate jail in Dillibazaar area of the capital.

Bam informed that the police department has been able to track down just 4-5 of the missing prisoners till date---more than two weeks since the quake. Two of them are Pakistani nationals.

The quake had also damaged 40 prisons across Nepal and 16 prisoners had been killed when a part of Kathmandu's central jail collapsed after the temblor. Jail authorities have been forced to keep some prisoners in open spaces under tents and tarpaulins.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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