The Bhutanese Leading the way.
On 9th April, 2024, 39-year-old Sonam Norbu who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 24-year-old Namgay Dolkar by the High Court (HC) appealed to the Supreme Court.
Initially the Criminal Bench of the Thimphu District Court sentenced him for voluntary manslaughter.
As voluntary manslaughter is a felony of the second degree and has sentencing from 9 to under 15 years, he was sentenced to 14 years 11 months and 29 days imprisonment.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) appealed the Thimphu District Court’s ruling, issued on 13th December, 2024, seeking a murder conviction.
On 27th March, 2025, Thimphu District Court’s ruling was overturned by HC, and Sonam Norbu was sentenced to life imprisonment. Additionally, the court ordered him to pay compensation to the parents of the victim, as per Section 7.2 of the Bhutan Penal Code 2004.
The HC reviewed the case and concluded that sufficient circumstantial and corroborative evidence proved the accused had premeditated malice.
The court acknowledged that no direct eyewitness testimony or confession was available. However, based on Section 5(b) and Section 88 of the Evidence Act of Bhutan 2005, it determined that circumstantial evidence overwhelmingly pointed to a premeditated murder.
A party aggrieved by the decision of a court may appeal to a higher court within 10 working days, excluding the day of judgment.
Namgay Dolkar’s father Singye Wangchuk, who is currently in deep depression, said he hoped that the Supreme Court will uphold the verdict of the High Court.
