15 Inmates Transferred Following Clash at Kanchanpur Prison: How Did the Dispute Begin?

March 10, Dhangadhi – Following a clash among inmates at Kanchanpur Prison, 15 prisoners have been transferred. On Wednesday, a confrontation between two groups over mutual disagreements resulted in five injuries. The administration of Kanchanpur Prison reported that all 15 inmates involved in the incident, including three who were injured, were transferred to Naubasta Prison in Banke the same day. Jailor Hemanti Saud confirmed that the transfer process was completed and the inmates were relocated to Naubasta. Among those injured in the clash were Bhuvan Nath, Bhuvan Air, and Prakash Gharedi, who were sent along with others. The other two injured, Daju Damai and Ayush Bam, remain at Kanchanpur but have been discharged following treatment at Mahakali Provincial Hospital.

Kanchanpur Prison had previously experienced a clash among inmates in mid-January. That incident reportedly stemmed from disputes between the prison watchman and a senior inmate regarding the smuggling and expensive sale of alcohol and drugs inside the facility. However, Jailor Saud described this week’s clash as merely the result of ‘internal disputes’ without confirmed involvement of other factors. “We have heard rumors of illicit activities, but during our monitoring and inspection, we found no evidence,” she stated. “Yesterday’s clash seems limited to mutual disagreements.” Following the earlier January clash, nine inmates were also relocated. Records indicate that eight were transferred to Naubasta and one to Kathmandu.

One contributing factor to the unrest has been the absence of a prison watchman. After assigning Prakash Bahadur Malla, who faces a culpable homicide case, to Dang earlier in the fiscal year, no replacement has been appointed since. Jailor Saud acknowledged problems arising from the lack of a watchman, adding that protocols delaying new appointments until the start of the fiscal year have contributed to the issue. The absence of an inmate leadership figure in the form of a watchman has reportedly intensified power struggles among prisoner groups, leading to increased conflicts.

Madan Koirala, Chief District Officer of Kanchanpur, distinguished between the causes of Wednesday’s and the January incidents. He noted that Wednesday’s fight broke out during the transfer process, whereas the earlier conflict related to financial transparency issues. “These two incidents are not connected. Yesterday’s conflict occurred during prisoner transfers, while the previous one concerned financial transparency,” CDO Koirala explained. “With the transfer and ongoing administrative reforms, we do not anticipate further problems.”