The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Mani Kumar Ghishing, the Gup of Gesarling gewog, Dagana, shared that around 1 am on 13 June, he received a call from Him Raj Subba, the Tshogpa of Tashithang, reporting a criminal incident involving the victim Garja Man Subba.
It was reported that his hands were cut by his wife’s former husband. Upon the request from the tshogpa to inform the police he immediately forwarded the police number to the tshogpa.
After a while he got a call from the police department of Dagana stating the incident and the victim’s house being on fire. He immediately went to the crime scene and saw the house almost burnt by fire.
The victim is a 55-year-old farmer and a resident of Dagapela. The alleged perpetrator, identified as Yongchung, is a former army person whose full name and details remain unknown. He reportedly attacked Mr. Garja Man Subba with a knife.
Upon receiving the complaint, local authorities immediately alerted the Tshogpa to evacuate the victim and rushed an investigation team to the hospital to gather more information.
According to statements from the victim, as well as his wife, Phik Maya Subba, it was revealed that the suspect had clandestinely entered their residence during the night.
The victim who is now in a stable condition shared that, in the dead of night, as he stepped out to the washroom, he was suddenly and unexpectedly assaulted by the suspect, who was already waiting outside with a knife.
He claimed that he had never seen the suspect who happens to be his wife’s former husband. He just knew that the suspect was from Trashigang and was staying in Paro.
In an attempt to protect himself, the victim used his hands to shield his head, resulting in multiple cuts. The victim also sustained a knife wound to his back while he was attempting to escape.
Further, he said that they lost all their belongings in the fire with their house which the attacker set after coming back later. Currently, the victim is in a stable condition but requires further medical treatment.
The victim’s wife disclosed to the Dagapela CPC that the suspect was her former husband, and they had been living apart for approximately one month.
During the attack, she was inside the house. With power outrage, she could only hear her husband’s cries for help. As they raised their voices for assistance, the assailant fled the scene.
Adding to the alarming sequence of events, the victim’s house suddenly caught fire shortly after the attack. Neighbors and the investigative team rushed to extinguish the flames but were hindered by the lack of electricity and water supply in the area.
Consequently, the house and its contents were engulfed by the blaze. Investigations later revealed that the fire had been deliberately set, with the suspect allegedly using 10 liters of kerosene, which had been stored for power backup purposes.
Captain Pema Wangyel, said that the motive behind the attack and subsequent arson remains under investigation, with authorities committed to ensuring justice is served for the victims.
Dagapela residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the local authorities as the investigation unfolds.
After the heinous act of attempted murder and arson, a knife wielding suspect managed to elude capture temporarily. However, after an extensive day and night search, he was apprehended.
Currently, the suspect is under detention in Dagana as authorities continue their investigations into this incident.
The complaint was lodged with the Dagapela Community Police Center (CPC) in the early hours of June 13th.
