Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chief Rabi Lamichhane has told the investigation commission that he did not flee Nakkhu Prison during Gen Z protests in September and insisted that he was released with the knowledge and cooperation of the police.

The commission, led by former Special Court chair Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate the September 8–9 nationwide protest and vandalism, recorded Lamichhane’s statement on Wednesday.

The sole focus of his statement was how he was released from Nakkhu prison on September 9.

According to a source knowledgeable about the process, Lamichhane and Satyaraj Joshi, the then jailer of Nakkhu Prison, gave similar statements to the commission. The commission is working to authenticate these statements and proceed with further action.

On September 21, the interim government formed after the Gen Z protests under the leadership of former chief justice Sushila Karki set up a three-member inquiry commission under former judge Karki. The commission has been given three months to submit its report.

Lamichhane, who has been in judicial custody over allegations of cooperative fund embezzlement, had left the prison on September 9 citing security concerns, along with hundreds of other inmates amid the unrest.

Questions were later raised over the authenticity of a letter allegedly issued by the prison administration authorising his release. Lamichhane returned to the prison after a few days.

The commission began its Kathmandu-centred investigation on November 2 by recording the statement of Joshi, former chief of Nakkhu prison who was summoned to the commission’s office at Singha Durbar.

Earlier, the commission team had visited Nakkhu prison on Tuesday to gather details about the prison break, vandalism, and arson during the protests.

During the anti-corruption Gen Z movement, 76 people, mostly youths, were killed in brutal suppression by authorities. Government, private, and commercial property were vandalised, looted, and set on fire. The Cabinet meeting on Monday declared 45 of the deceased as martyrs.

The commission questioned Joshi about the vandalism, arson, and Nakkhu prison break of September 9, as well as the overall situation surrounding the incident. According to one commission member, Joshi gave a nearly two-hour-long statement, explaining that attempts at vandalism and arson had started early that morning.

Despite efforts to maintain restraint, the situation spiralled out of control, a commission member quoted Joshi as saying.

Joshi reportedly said that protests had erupted outside the prison from early morning, fuelled by social media discussions about RSP chief Lamichhane. He added that although security inside the prison had been tightened due to the presence of inmates convicted of serious crimes, the situation could not be brought under control.

Joshi claimed that when it became apparent that the violence and arson could cause casualties, the prison administration began the process of handing over prisoners to their families. During this time, when Lamichhane was being handed over to his family, Joshi said he was pressured to sign a letter that had been brought to him, the commission member told the Post.

“I was compelled to sign the letter even without reading its contents, as I feared my own life,” the commission member quoted Joshi.

Joshi admitted that he signed the document under pressure from then Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi. Joshi told the commission that he signed the document about an hour after Lamichhane had been released, according to the commission member.

Following Joshi’s statement, members of the investigation commission visited Nakkhu Prison on November 2 to meet Lamichhane. During the meeting, Lamichhane claimed that he had not escaped but had been released with the cooperation of the home administration and the police leadership.

Lamichhane reportedly told the commission officials during the interrogation that he was ready to have his conversation recorded as an official legal statement.

He appeared before the commission’s secretariat at Singha Durbar on Wednesday to provide his testimony. His wife, Nikita Poudel, also accompanied him, carrying original documents to substantiate his claims.

Meanwhile, the commission has accused the police administration of not cooperating.

Although the commission source said that Lamichhane’s recorded statement is largely consistent with Joshi’s, the source declined to disclose all the details saying they would appear in the final report.

One of the commission members, however, said that while some parts of Lamichhane and Joshi’s statements appear similar, there is no complete consistency between them.

Another member of the commission, BP Bhandari, said, “All details from the statements will be included in the investigation report. We cannot disclose anything at this stage.”

Although RSP spokesman Manish Jha and leaders Hari Dhakal and Bipin Acharya are accused of inciting the crowd outside the prison to release Lamichhane on September 9, the commission has not yet summoned or interrogated them.

“Since allegations have been made against us, we are ready to record our statements, but we have not received any notice or summons from the commission so far,” Jha said.

A member of the commission, however, said they could be summoned for questioning if necessary.

Meanwhile, the differences between the commission and Nepal Police Headquarters have widened over the course of the investigation. Former additional inspector general (AIG) Bigyan Raj Sharma, who is also a member of the commission, said that they had requested details of police personnel deployed at various sites across the country on the days of the protests.

Sharma added that so far only information from Kathmandu has been received, while details from outside the Valley are pending.

The commission had written to the secretariat of the inspector general of Nepal Police requesting details of the police personnel deployed at key locations on September 8 and 9.

Initially the Secretariat was reluctant to provide the information but later said that everyone from the inspector general to constables had been deployed.

Inspector General of Nepal Police Chandrakuber Khapung, however, rejected allegations of non-cooperation with the commission.

“We have provided the necessary police personnel to assist the commission,” Khapung told the Post. “As for the details of officers deployed at the incident sites, the delay occurred due to a lack of coordination between the commission and the police offices, and that issue is now being resolved.”