The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A 21-year-old man has allegedly stabbed his 29-year-old friend, in a fit of anger, outside a bar in Hejo, Thimphu.
The incident occurred when the two men, supposedly close friends, had an argument over lagay – the white gho sleeves. According to eyewitnesses, the men were visibly under alcohol intoxification during the time.
North Thimphu Police Station (NTPS) officials revealed that on 4 August 2024 past midnight at around 1:14 am, they received a complaint of the stabbing incident. Immediately, after reaching the scene of crime, the police came to know that the victim was taken to the emergency ward, JDWNRH, due to excessive bleeding from his lower abdomen caused by the stab wound.
The police promptly met the victim, just in time to hear the victim reveal the name of his friend as the one who had stabbed him, after which he succumbed to the stab wound at 3:44 am.
Police then informed the deceased’s family members. After a brief search, the police caught the suspect in Pamtsho, Thimphu.
During the interrogation phase, the suspect confessed that he had stabbed his friend. He revealed that on 3 August 2024, a heated argument broke over the lagay when the victim had pestered him to return his lagay, even though he had agreed to give them back. The two then landed up having a physical fight outside the bar as the victim kept on arguing about the lagay.
According to eyewitness, the suspect and victim were fighting equally. The victim had allegedly punched the suspect hard on the nose leaving a mark. The fight was contained as the people restrained them down until both of them were ready to cool down.
The suspect then left from the bar premises in anger after being unrestrained.
But the victim stayed back to drink more alcohol.
The suspect by then had brought a dagger with him, and upon meeting the victim, stabbed him in his lower abdomen, after which he had immediately fled the scene.
The fighting and stabbing incidents are all captured in the nearby CCTV footage.
Hospital officials declared his death as homicide, which was a result of excessive bleeding.
Police have also declared the case as homicide case, which had not yet been categorized, as the investigation is still going on.
As per Penal Code of Bhutan, homicide means a conduct that causes the death of a person and includes murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, and negligent homicide.
A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of murder, if the defendant commits a homicide knowingly and deliberately with premeditated malice or while in the commission or attempted commission of another felony.
The offence of murder shall be a felony of the first degree.
Also, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of voluntary manslaughter, if the defendant possesses the intention to kill but without premeditated malice, acts under the violence of sudden passion occasioned by some great provocation such that a reasonable person would be induced to cause the death of other person or with vicious intent to cause serious bodily injury to a person causes the death of that person.
The offence of voluntary manslaughter shall be a felony of the second degree.
A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of involuntary manslaughter, if the conduct that leads to the death of the victim is committed during the defendant’s commission of a reckless act, or the conduct that leads to the death of the victim is committed during the commission of another unlawful act other than a felony or a homicide that would otherwise be murder is committed under the immediate influence of extreme mental or emotional distress for which there is reasonable explanation or excuse.
The offence of involuntary manslaughter shall be a felony of the fourth degree.
