Gujarat Resident Who Escaped Nepal Jail During ‘Gen Z’ Protests Arrested in Ahmedabad

PTI, AHMEDABAD, JAN 27, 2026: Aman hailing from Gujarat's Ahmedabad, who escaped from a jail in Nepal during last year's 'Gen Z' protests months after he was held there on drug charges, has been caught here by the local police, officials said on Tuesday.

Accused Dharmesh Chunara, a resident of Thakkarbapa Nagar Road in Ahmedabad, was caught by the Special Operation Group (SOG) Crime Branch, the police said in a release.

Chunara had escaped from the Bhadra jail in the neighbouring country's capital during last year's protests.

In September last year, Nepal was rocked by large-scale protests and youth-led uprisings, referred to as the 'Gen Z protests', largely triggered by anger over the government's ban on social media platforms.

Chunara, who landed in Nepal from Bangkok via Bangkok–Nepal Flight No. TG-319 in July 2025, was caught with 13 kilograms of hybrid ganja valued at approximately Rs 13 crore, following which he was sent to the Bhadra jail in Kathmandu after legal action by Nepal authorities, the release said.

During the Gen Z protests in Nepal, some activists vandalised the Bhadra jail, where Chunara was lodged.

During the incident, all the prisoners kept there escaped. Some of them were Indian nationals, it added.

As per the police, the Nepal government released a list of these escaped prisoners, based on which the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Delhi, circulated the details of the escaped prisoners to all states of India, including the CID Crime unit in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

Chunara, whose complete name and address were not available, was traced using human intelligence and technical analysis, as per the SOG Crime Branch.

During his interrogation, the accused stated that he was lodged in the Bhadra jail in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances case.

During the Gen Z protests, when prisoners escaped after vandalising the jail, Chunara was among them.

He entered India via the India–Nepal Sonauli border, after which he came to Ahmedabad, the release said.

The Crime Branch said the accused has been taken into custody for further legal proceedings, the release said.