A week after 742 inmates walked out of Bharatpur prison in Chitwan, 446 have voluntarily returned following a public notice from the prison administration.

The mass exit occurred last Wednesday, taking advantage of the Gen Z protests, which also saw unrest in several other prisons across the country. The administration had immediately issued a notice urging inmates to return, assuring them of no further punishment if they complied. Those who fail to come back, however, have been warned of legal consequences.

“By yesterday [Tuesday], 446 inmates returned,” said Rabindra Dhungana, chief of Bharatpur prison. “Most of them came back voluntarily, which is encouraging. We are monitoring the others closely.”

Chitwan’s Superintendent of Police, Govinda Puri, added that while many are under surveillance, efforts will soon be stepped up to bring the rest back. “Those who surrender on their own will avoid additional action,” he said.

Among those who returned are inmates convicted of serious crimes. Prison authorities are still recording detailed information on who has come back and what charges they face.

The prison also houses notorious rhino poachers and traffickers, who were arrested after lengthy investigations by Chitwan National Park and the Central Investigation Bureau. Out of 48 inmates linked to rhino poaching cases, 36 have already returned to the prison, according to prison chief Dhungana.

Authorities said they will continue to allow time for voluntary surrender before deploying enforcement measures to ensure all escapees are accounted for.

In one of the largest jailbreaks in Nepal’s history, more than two dozen prisons across the country witnessed mass escapes on Tuesday and Wednesday last week after anti-corruption protests turned violent.

The jailbreaks began when youth protesters stormed multiple prison facilities, setting administrative buildings ablaze and forcing open prison gates.

According to preliminary reports, over 15,000 inmates had fled from more than 25 prisons during the unrest.

Fifty-four inmates who escaped from Bharatpur had returned voluntarily earlier on September 12.

After the authorities’ notice, many of them have returned to their respective prisons in several other districts as well.