KATHMANDU:Due to the anti-government protests in Nepal, the Nepal Police and the government confirmed that the recent unrest in the Himalayan nation has so far claimed 51 lives. Among the dead is an Indian national, along with three security personnel.
According to Nepal Police, spokesperson Ramesh Thapa said on Friday that the deceased included 20 protesters, nine prisoners who tried to escape from jail, three policemen, and 18 others. However, he did not provide further details about the other deaths.
The deceased Indian national was identified as Rajesh Gola, who had arrived in Nepal on September 7 with her husband, Ramveer Gola, a transporter from Ghaziabad. She was staying at a hotel in Kathmandu which was set on fire by protesters on the night of September 9. Trapped in her fourth-floor room, Rajesh tied bedsheets together and tried to climb down from the window, but slipped and fell to the ground, leading to her death. This is how the protest claimed her life.
Police have issued a public notice urging all citizens to come forward with any evidence related to the protests. The notice stated that such evidence could include videos, photos, or social media links documenting incidents of arson, looting, or public disorder. The identity of those sharing this evidence will be kept confidential, Nepal Police said.
Earlier in the day, police spokesperson Vinod Ghimire said that out of the 13,500 prisoners who escaped during the protests and strikes, more than 12,000 are still at large, and efforts to capture them are ongoing. He added that the administration of Nakkhu prison in Lalitpur has appealed to the inmates to “surrender voluntarily and cooperate with the police, as it would be in their best interest.”
Due to the protest, the curfew imposed in the Kathmandu Valley was partially lifted on Friday.
People were allowed to go out from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM and from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. However, main roads and public places remained largely empty, with very few people venturing out except journalists, tourists, and those going out for essential purposes.