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The family of a 33-year-old man is pleading for answers after he was first declared brain dead at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) on 14th November 2025 and then dead on 23rd November at 2 pm, after being held in police custody for interrogation.
His 19-year-old wife, who is eight months pregnant, and his parents say they are still in shock as they struggle to understand how a healthy young father-to-be ended up fighting for his life.
Speaking to The Bhutanese, the wife narrated that police arrived at their residence around 12:45 pm on 12th November with a man in handcuffs. Police informed her that the arrested man was caught in possession of drugs and had taken her husband’s name as an accomplice.
She said she fully cooperated with the officers and allowed a thorough search of their home, telling them that if anything was found on her husband, they could arrest him. However, nothing was found.
Despite this, police told her that her husband needed to be taken into custody for questioning based on the other suspect’s statement.
According to her, the police assured her that since her husband was not found with any drugs, he would either be released after a few hours or she would be updated. She was also instructed to remain at home due to her pregnancy and was specifically told not to inform her in-laws.
After waiting the entire night without sleep and receiving no update until 10 am the next day, she contacted her husband’s friends to see him.
She said she was directed from one police station to another before ending up at the Drug Division, where she was told to wait as the case was being “followed up.”
She said she repeatedly requested to see her husband but was denied the entire day. She questioned why he was still being held even though he was taken in only as a “doubt case” and had been initially assured of release after interrogation.
Given her pregnancy, she pleaded that her husband be allowed to go home with her, but police informed her that because it was a government holiday, police officers were on leave and further case follow-up was not possible until next week.
She was told to bring bedding for her husband and informed that the case would only be followed up on Monday once officers returned to work. When she insisted, she needed to inform her husband’s parents in case anything happened, she said the police repeatedly asked her not to contact them, stating that if her husband was proven innocent, the parents might sue the police despite “no fault” being found.
On the night of 13th November, she was finally allowed to meet her husband.
“My husband appeared to be in good condition and was returned to his cell with the food and bedding I brought. Police again advised me to rest at home and told me that I would receive a call if he was released or kept in detention”.
The next morning, on 14th November, she prepared breakfast and waited for the police call which never came.
“I received a call from a woman who asked if I was the detainee’s wife. The woman (who the police contacted via mobile mistaking her as the detainee’s wife) told her that upon asking the police, they did not explain what had happened”.
Upon inquiry, she learned that her husband had been brought to the emergency ward between 1 pm and 2 pm, but she was informed late to come only at around 3:46 pm.
When she arrived at 4:10 pm, she found her husband lying in the emergency unit.
“I asked about what led to the incident and was told that my husband had been consuming drugs and supplying them to friends. Police said that while being taken to catch other dealers, he attempted to escape from the police van by breaking the door and falling out ultimately leading to the accident”.
However, she said the accounts given by the police were contradictory.
“One officer said my husband was handcuffed at the back and another said he was handcuffed in front,” she says.
She added that if he had fallen while escaping, she would have expected multiple injuries, but she observed only swelling on the upper left ear, with no scratches on the left ear, neck, or hand on that side.
Seeing the severity of his condition, she immediately contacted her father-in-law, explaining why she had not informed them earlier, because police had asked her not to.
She said a police personnel took her phone to speak with the father and overheard as he was given a different account, saying the incident occurred while the son was being taken to court for case follow-up. This was strange as that day was a government holiday when the courts are closed.
She also recalled seeing “bubbles drooping from his mouth” and that his pants were wet from urination, which she alleges could have been due to possible beating.
When she asked for the exact location of the incident and for CCTV footage, she said she was told it occurred near Lungtenzampa viewpoint and that there were no cameras in that area.
She said doctors and police informed her that if he were only given medication, he might survive for two days, but surgery would also be extremely risky due to a blood clot in the brain.
She said she was presented with two forms to sign. She signed the first, hoping surgery might offer even a small chance of survival.
Before signing the second form, she was advised, given her young age to consult his parents.
Her father-in-law told her to sign, and after a long-wait her husband was taken to surgery at around 10 pm. The operation lasted about five hours.
According to the family, doctors later informed them that the patient was surviving only on machines.
The patient’s father said the family had no idea their son had been arrested until they received a call from the daughter-in-law on 14 November informing them that he was in critical condition and needed emergency surgery.
A family member said that when they asked the doctors about the case, they repeated the narrative shared by the police. They were told that further details would only be known after forensic investigation reports were completed.
He said that the doctors also informed them that there had been massive internal bleeding observed in the brain during surgery.
The family said doctors have declared the 33-year-old man brain dead, and that only the life-support machines are keeping his lungs functioning.
The family is now seeking clarity on the circumstances leading to his condition and is awaiting the forensic report.
When The Bhutanese contacted the relevant RBP officials they said they finding out the facts of what happened.
The 33-year-old passed away on Sunday afternoon on 23rd November at 2 pm.
