Kathmandu, Sept. 15 -- In the last five years, the country has witnessed a rise in the number of kidnapping cases, according to Nepal Police data.

The last fiscal year 2018-19 alone saw 104 cases, the highest in the last five years. According to police statistics, kidnapping/abduction cases rose 35.1 percent in the last fiscal year, compared to the previous fiscal year.

Officials say what is even more alarming is that not all kidnappings were perpetrated by professional criminals.

"In the majority of cases, the culprits were either relatives or acquaintances," said Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, chief of the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu.

"Many a time we have found that people have been kidnapped in cases of ...