Security forces have recaptured more than 3,700 inmates including two Nigerians after last week’s unprecedented mass jailbreak triggered by violent anti-government protests in Nepal.
According to Press Trust of India, the fugitives were intercepted on Saturday by India’s border force, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), at Jainagar in Bihar while attempting to slip back into Nepal.
The jailbreak, which saw over 13,500 prisoners storm out of facilities across the country in under 24 hours, has plunged Nepal into its worst internal security crisis in decades. Among the escapees are hardened criminals, high-profile convicts and politically sensitive detainees.
Nepal Police spokesman, Deputy Inspector General Binod Ghimire, confirmed Sunday that 3,723 prisoners have been returned to jail, but 10,320 remain at large. Authorities have urged the public to stay vigilant.
The chaos has spilled into India, where officials fear some escapees may have ties to criminal syndicates along the Bihar–Uttar Pradesh border. The situation is further muddied by arson attacks that torched court records, crippling follow-up investigations.
Among those still missing are former junior minister Sanjay ‘Takla’ Sah, convicted over the deadly 2012 Janakpur bombing; kidnap kingpin Uday Shetti, notorious for cross-border operations; suspended deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, accused in a fake refugee scam; and ex-home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey.
The killing of industrialist Arun Kumar Singhania, for which Sah was convicted, continues to resonate across Bihar and Jharkhand, where his family remains influential in business and media.
A joint manhunt involving the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force is now underway. Despite the sweep, officials admit the majority of escapees remain “untraceable” — and unlikely to surrender anytime soon.
