Nepal Ex-Minister Accused Of Bomb Blast, Others Storm Out Of Jails Amid Stir

Amid ongoing protests in Nepal led by the Gen-Z movement, former state minister Sanjay Kumar Sah, who had been serving a life sentence, walked out of Lalitpur's Nakkhu Jail.

He walked out of jail along with all other prisoners, including Rastriya Swatantra Party president Rabi Lamichhane, amid the demonstrations that have swept across the country.

Amid the ongoing wave of protests in Nepal, chaos has erupted across several prisons, with protesters storming jail compounds and breaking locks to free inmates. In some facilities, prisoners themselves have broken out, taking advantage of the growing unrest.

Protesters have burned official records and files, in an attempt to destroy evidence. Supporters of jailed political leaders are also helping break the locks. The police have backed off and are not intervening.

Notably, Sah had been in prison for nearly 13 years, serving a life sentence. He was elected twice as a Member of Parliament from the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and later as a member of the Constituent Assembly from the Sadbhavana Party.

He was accused of being the main perpetrator in the bomb blast incident at Ramanand Chowk in Janakpur on April 30, 2012, which killed five people.

A resident of Janakpur, Sah is also accused of being the main conspirator in the murder of Arun Singhania, a media entrepreneur from Radio Today.

Following his release, Sah has claimed his innocence and has been praising the Gen-Z movement.

The student-led "Gen Z" protests in Nepal that began against a government ban on social media expanded into a larger campaign reflecting growing public criticism of the KP Sharma Oli dispensation and the country's political elite over alleged corruption and apathy towards the common people.

Prime Minister Oli resigned in the face of massive protests for a second day, even as the ban on social media was lifted late on Monday night. The demonstrators stormed many government buildings and set the parliament as well as homes of several high-profile leaders ablaze, a day after 19 people died in violence.