Almost  six months after 12 prisoners from the Jhumka-based eastern regional prison fled to freedom after digging a tunnel, eight inmates from a jail in Rolpa escaped on Saturday night using the same technique. Three of the escapees, however, have been arrested.

According to reports, the prisoners fled the detention centre by digging an eight-metre long tunnel under their cell. Police have identified the jail breakers as Arjun Sen of Khungri, Dhruba Dangi of Jugar, Champeng BK of Jedawang, Raj Bahadur Oli of Jangkot, Basanta Roka of Rangkot, Krishna Bahadur Oli of Dhabang, Deepak Pun and Raju Thapa of Saigha, Dang.

Sen, who was doing time for smuggling rhino’s horns, was arrested from a forest in Saatdobato and the other two, Pun and BK, were apprehended from Madichaur. BK, Dangi and Raj Bahadur Oli are rape convicts while Roka, Pun, Thapa and Krishna Bahadur Oli were serving for their involvement in the cases of dacoity.

There were 11 inmates in the cell under which the tunnel was dug but three of them chose not to escape.

The prison building had been housing prisoners more than its capacity. In the ‘D’ class of the prison alone there were 84 prisoners, more than twice its capacity.

Police learnt about the jailbreak half an hour after it occurred. Jailer Dilip Shrestha was on leave yesterday and by 8pm Prison Department Security in-charge Sub-inspector Basanta Basnet had completed his duty and handed the responsibility to Sub-inspector Salikram Basnet. There were 19 security men led by the SI for the security of the prison.