Kathmandu, May 19 -- At around 2:30 pm on Monday, a young woman sat quietly inside the legal section of the Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku. She wore a black-and-white floral kurta, with a jacket marked "detained" draped over it. Officers moved in and out of the room, but she remained still, speaking little.

According to police records, this was not the first time Sapana Tamang had been in handcuffs.

"At first glance, no one would think she had been convicted of such serious crimes," said Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Khadka, chief of the office.

Sapana is 25 and serving a 25-year sentence for murder, kidnapping and robbery. Her latest arrest followed her escape from Sundhara Central Jail during last year's Gen Z pr...