The crisis has been further complicated by the burning of court records in arson attacks, hampering follow-up action by authorities.

A joint campaign by the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force is underway to track down and arrest the escaped prisoners, DIG Binod Ghimire said.

Among the escapees are some of Nepal’s most notorious convicts and politically sensitive detainees. They include former junior minister Sanjay ‘Takla’ Sah, convicted for the 2012 Janakpur bomb blast and the 2007 murder of industrialist Arun Kumar Singhana.

Others are kidnapper Uday Shetti, known for cross-border operations in the Raxaul-Sitamarhi corridor, suspended deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, on trial in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, and former home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey.

Singhania’s killing drew outrage in Bihar and Jharkhand, where his family remains active in business and media.