Nepal unrest: Inmates escape Kathmandu jail; some nabbed at Indian border

NEW DELHI: A large number of inmates escaped the Dillibazar jail in Nepal's Kathmandu amid chaos during the ongoing anti-corruption.The Nepalese Army has been deployed in and around the jail to prevent further escalation, as law enforcement struggles to maintain control in the capital.This comes as the police reportedly withdrew from their post except the Police headquarter.With law enforcement pulling back, the Nepal Army has assumed key responsibilities for securing prisons to prevent a potential mass breakout or violent clashes.Meanwhile, five inmate were nabbed by the Sashastra Seema Bal at the India-Nepal border as they were attempting to cross into India."The arrests were made along the India-Nepal border in Siddharthnagar area, and the prisoners were subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation," officials said.A youth-led demonstrations quickly snowballed into a nation-wide mob violence in Nepal. Crowds vandalised government buildings, torched offices, and attacked political leaders. The home of former PM Jhalanath Khanal was set ablaze, killing his wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar.The violence escalated after the government blocked social media platforms including Facebook, X, and YouTube, claiming the companies had refused to register under state oversight.Within 48 hours of the ban, Kathmandu was transformed into a battlefield. Small armies of young men and women occupied public spaces, clashed with police, and chanted slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chodd” (“KP thief, leave the country”) and “Take action against corrupt leaders.”