Over 15,000 prisoners escape amid violent protests in Nepal: Report
Kathmandu: Nepal is facing a nationwide security crisis after more than 15,000 inmates escaped from over 25 prisons across the country amid violent protests against corruption and the government in the country, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The mass jailbreaks began when angry demonstrators stormed multiple prison facilities, setting administrative buildings on fire and breaking open gates. In several locations, inmates reportedly attempted to seize control of the prisons, leading to clashes with security forces.
The deadliest incident occurred at the Banke Juvenile Reform Centre, where police opened fire to contain the chaos, leaving five inmates dead. Of the 228 children at the centre, 122 managed to flee from the facility.
At Sundhara’s Central Jail, around 3,300 inmates escaped, while another 1,400 prisoners broke out of Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur. In Kaski District Prison, 773 inmates escaped after protesters torched the administrative block on Tuesday evening.
Other major prison breaks were reported at Jhumka Prison in Sunsari, one of Nepal’s largest facilities, where 1,575 prisoners escaped, and at Jaleshwar Prison in Mahottari, which saw the escape of 575 inmates. Authorities mentioned that 220 inmates later returned voluntarily or were captured by the army.
Families of crime victims have expressed fear as inmates convicted of heinous crimes such as murders, rapes, abductions, and human trafficking have also escaped, the report added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Prison Management stated that it was still compiling final figures from all provinces. Director General Lila Prasad Sharma confirmed that the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police have been deployed nationwide to re-arrest escapees and restore order.
“We are mobilising all available resources to re-arrest them as quickly as possible," The Kathmandu Post quoted him as saying.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
