Six of eight inmates who escaped Dolpa prison through tunnel recaptured

Six of the eight inmates who tunneled out of Dolpa District Prison have been recaptured, with two more apprehended on Sunday. Police are continuing their search for the remaining two escapees.Hari Bahadur Budha of Tripurasundari Municipality-4, Dolpa, and Yagya BK of Jajarkot were arrested on Sunday while hiding in a forest above Rangagaun in Tripurasundari Municipality-4, Dolpa, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri of the Dolpa District Police Office. Both Budha and BK were serving sentences for rape.Previously, on Kartik 18 (BS), Kaliprasad Rokaya of Tripurasundari Municipality-4, Dolpa, and Kapil Pariyar of Jajarkot were apprehended at Kamala Budha’s house in Rangagaun, Tripurasundari Municipality-4, Dolpa. Before that, on Kartik 17 (BS), Ram Bahadur BK of Rukum West and Resham Rana of Salyan were arrested.The eight inmates escaped from Dolpa District Prison on Kartik 14 (BS) by digging a tunnel. The tunnel, estimated to be about 3.5 to 4 meters long, was dug by breaking through the inner wall and outer compound of the prison. Five of the escapees were incarcerated for rape and three for theft.The two inmates still at large are Tilak Bhandari and Aadesh Bhandari, both from Aathbiskot Municipality-5 and -3, Rukum West, respectively. They were held on theft charges. Santosh Singh Rathour, spokesperson for the Karnali Province Police Office in Surkhet, confirmed that the search for these two individuals is ongoing.The Dolpa District Police Office has formed a three-member committee led by Police Inspector Binay Singh to investigate the incident. Additionally, a central police team, including Karnali Province Police Chief DIG Jayaraj Sapkota and led by SSP Rajiv Basnet, has arrived in Dolpa. This team will conduct an on-site study of the prison’s security arrangements, the conditions before the escape, and any shortcomings in the responsibility and monitoring of security personnel.Police stated that the process to return Hari Bahadur Budha and Yagya BK to prison has begun. Further investigation is underway regarding the tools used to dig the tunnel, any lapses in security surveillance, and how the inmates managed to escape the prison.