The Bhutanese Leading the way.
South Thimphu Police station (STPS) arrested a 47-year-old man on 16th April, 2024 for vandalizing a chorten in Hamgue village, Gengye gewog, Thimphu two years ago.
The case was brought to light by a farmer when he noticed the incident on 15th May, 2022 and immediately reported it to the village Tshogpa and to the gewog.
The gewog administration then informed the police. The STPS team upon reaching the place of occurrence collected fingerprints, shoeprints which were still visible and related forensic samples and sent it for forensic lab testing.
Upon receiving the forensic result on 16th April, 2024, the result confirmed that the prints and samples matched with the suspect who was living closest to the chorten.
Subsequently, the individual who was a suspect for two years was taken into custody on the same day of the findings.
The STPS team shared that the incident seemed to occur the night before receiving the report which is on the night of 14th April,2022. The team during the investigation were able to find a Chana Dorji statue, Antique knife, zang and thro as such mud pot, beta and mata, left at the chorten. However, one Dzi was missing.
Upon interrogation by the police, the suspect confessed that he vandalized the chorten with the sole intent of obtaining a precious Dzi. The police have seized the lever (chang nga) which the suspect has used as weapon to open the chorten.
After his divorce, the suspect is said to be living alone.
The police shared that they are not sure whether there was a Dzi in the chorten and there is no date as to when the chorten was built.
Also, the gup of the gewog shared that the chorten was there since he was a child and now, he is 58 years old. The ku, sung, thuk-ten or zung are with the gewog administration for now.
The case will be forwarded to Office of Attorney General.
According to the Penal Code of Bhutan, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence against the Ku, Sung, Thuk-Ten, or Zung, if the defendant removes a Zung from a Chorten or religious statue, commits a larceny of Ku, Sung, Thuk-Ten, or Zung of antique value from a Lhakhang, Dzong, Chorten, museum, or dwelling places and Vandalising any Ten Suum.
The offence against the Ku, Sung, Thuk-Ten, or Zung shall be a felony of the first degree.
This means a defendant convicted of a felony of the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment, a minimum of which shall be fifteen years and a maximum of which shall be life imprisonment.
