KATHMANDU, Oct 10: The bustling nightlife of Thamel was shaken late last month when a young man fell victim to a brutal khukuri attack—an incident that police have now traced back to a fugitive who escaped from Nakkhu Jail during the September 9 Gen Z protests.
The victim, 25-year-old Suraj Tamang, originally from Makawanpur and living in Balaju Manmainju, was attacked outside the Happy Hotel on September 29. Rushed to Bir Hospital by police, Suraj lost his battle for life the same night.
Inmate dies after nasty brawl in Nakkhu jail
For weeks, investigators struggled to piece together the identity of the killer. Now, Sorhakhutte Police Circle says the prime suspect is Akash Magar, a convicted robber who slipped out of Nakkhu Jail along with thousands of other inmates when protestors torched prison facilities across the country. Police believe Magar fled to India soon after the killing.
The September jailbreak freed over 14,500 prisoners nationwide—among them hardened criminals serving long sentences for murder, robbery, and violent crimes. More than 5,500 fugitives remain at large, leaving a trail of insecurity across Nepal.
The Thamel case is not an isolated incident. Authorities say escaped inmates have been linked to a string of violent crimes since the mass breakout. In one chilling case, Santa Bahadur Tamang, 35, murdered his 30-year-old wife Manisha soon after walking free from the same prison. In another, Khim Bahadur BK, 22, who was serving a 25-year sentence in Tulsipur, attacked a 53-year-old man with a sharp weapon in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City.
What began as a political protest on September 9 has now spiraled into a nationwide security crisis. The murder of Suraj Tamang in the heart of Kathmandu’s tourist hub is a stark reminder that many of the men who fled those burning prisons continue to haunt the streets.
