Prakash Dhungana appointed as jailer of Kailali prison following violent incident

Dhangadhi: Prakash Dhungana has been appointed as the new jailer of Kailali Prison, according to the Department of Prison Management. Dhungana, previously serving as the jailer of Nepalgunj, assumed his duties at Kailali on Saturday.

His appointment follows the transfer of Jalandhar Bhusal, who was sent to Dhungana after completing a week-long assignment at Kailali Prison. The move comes in the wake of a violent clash between prisoners in the facility last Friday night, during which inmates in Block A broke through a wall and attacked prisoners in Block B indiscriminately. The incident resulted in the death of Bharat Chaudhary of Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City-4, serving a sentence in a drug case, while 48 others sustained injuries.

Three of the injured remain in critical condition and are receiving treatment in Kathmandu. Of the 45 prisoners treated at the Corona Hospital under Seti Provincial Hospital, 34 have been discharged, but most remain at the hospital due to security concerns that the violence could recur if they return to prison immediately. Four discharged prisoners have been transferred to Kanchanpur Prison and one to Nawalparasi Prison.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has highlighted serious negligence on the part of Chief District Officer Gogan Bahadur Hamal, who oversees district security, in relation to the prison incident. Consequently, Hamal has been replaced by Krishna Prasad Lamsal, the Chief District Officer of Dang, in Kailali.