Sumitra’s accused killer is her friend’s Uncle: Sumitra’s Sister

Photo published by paper helped identify this missing link

Some of the things that did not make sense in the murder of 13-year-old Sumitra Chhetri was on why did she talk to her accused killer Cheten (pronounced Choiten) Tshering, an apparent stranger, why did she ask him a loan for taxi fare money, and why did she walk along with him after getting the Nu 500 loan.

This aspect remained a mystery both for the police and this paper until The Bhutanese took the Editorial decision to publish Tshering’s picture online in the hope that more light could be thrown on the case, or if other possible victims in past unknown cases want to come forward.

Sumitra’s elder sister saw the picture published by the paper and what she saw shocked her, as it became clear to her that her sister’s alleged murderer is Sumitra’s friend’s uncle.

Something, she told this paper, she did not know before until she saw the picture published by the paper online.

Tshering while confessing to everything had skilfully hidden this fact from the police successfully, which was still unaware as the paper went to print on Friday evening.

A fact that came out after this paper published his picture.

Sumitra’s elder sister said, “Sumitra used to say that her friend’s uncle is a drug addict who does not come home at nights and keeps roaming. Then last year, during a parent and teacher meeting in school, she pointed out Cheten Tshering to me who had come to the school as a parent.”

The elder sister said that Sumitra could recognize Tshering as Sumitra knew him through her friend.

Sumitra’s sister said since her sister knew Tshering it is sure that Tshering also knew her.

Adding new updated details, the elder sister said she could recognize Tshering with the short hair as she had seen him with the short hair cut wearing a Gho in the school compound where parents were seated.

She said, “He already looked like an addict and scary when my sister pointed out to him and he went after the meeting from the school touching his phone.”

The sister said that she is very sure about what Sumitra said and also the face of Tshering with shorter hair shared in the mug shot published by the paper.

This may also explain why Tshering made it a point to murder Sumitra after the failed rape attempt, as she could have easily exposed him and his identity.

An important aspect that this paper pointed out in earlier stories as per the police was that Sumitra was supposed to meet up and go together with a group of friends to Dechenphug but Sumitra was  unable to meet her friends and she decided to walk along the Pamtsho road.

Sumitra also reportedly did not have a mobile phone on her while leaving which made communication difficult.

The sister said that Sumitra’s body was found below the Pamtsho road around 15 to 20 minutes walk from where she started at home. 

This is important as it means that Tshering after a night of partying and drugs in town was deliberately following Sumitra as also seen in the CCTV footage evidence.

Tshering had confessed to the police that he saw her walking from behind and so he quickened his steps and overtook her and then he waited for her at a remote location on the Pamtsho road smoking on a culvert.

In his confession, he told the police she asked him for a taxi money loan since she had been left behind by her friends and so he loaned her Nu 500 and she walked along with him. Tshering, in his confession, made it sound like Sumitra was a total stranger, leaving out the information that Sumitra was known to him.

This explains why Sumitra, who had been left behind by her friends who promised her a ride to Dechenphug Lhakhang and asked her not to carry taxi money, trusted and approached Tshering for the taxi money loan.

Sumitra was only carrying the Nu 50 that her elder sister insisted she carry.

This new information may also alter the case as earlier the case was about the killing not being pre-planned and happening at the spur of the moment, as one stranger killed another stranger, and so Tshering could have been charged with voluntary manslaughter which is a felony of second degree which has a sentencing of a minimum of 9 years to a maximum of less than 15 years.

However, with the new fact that Tshering knew the victim from before and deliberately followed her stalking her, talked to her and walked with her before attempting to rape her and then killing her shows a pre-meditated murder.

This will come under homicide, which is pre-mediated murder and a felony of the first degree with a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life sentence.

This additional important information and evidence will add to what the police is saying are evidences that are incriminating and proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The first evidence is that Sumitra’s blood was found on the accused Tshering’s pants that was confirmed by DNA testing.

Tshering’s blood was also found on Sumitra who had fought, punched and scratched him as he tried to rape her and then killed her. This was also confirmed by DNA testing.

If that was not enough, his skin and DNA was found under the fingernails of Sumitra who had scratched him.

Added to this is, Tshering’s confession that he committed the murder after which he went to the crime scene with the police and re-enacted the entire crime step by step.

Additional evidence is also in the form of CCTV footages which backtrack and show Tshering coming from Thimphu town and later following after the victim in Pamtsho but not exiting from the other end on another CCTV camera. This is in fact what helped crack the case.

His DNA samples have also been sent to UK to see if it matches with the DNA samples found at the sites of the infamous 2019 Paro and Dechencholing (Dangrina) cases.

Sumitra’s sister said that it is good that Tshering’s picture was published, otherwise they would never know it was a friend’s uncle who killed her.

She also said that publishing his picture is also helpful as in case he escapes from prison, people can recognize him, and when he is released in the future after serving his sentence, people will be aware, and thus the public will be safer as he will not be able to commit a similar crime again under the guise of anonymity in the public. 

RBP has already forwarded the case to the OAG for prosecution, but now both RBP and OAG will have to work the above new evidence and information uncovered by The Bhutanese into their case.

(The story has been updated with new information)