A 48-year-old suspect involved in robbing a lhakhang in Rubisa gewog, Wangdue Phodrang in 1988, who had escaped from police custody 25 years back, was rearrested on May 10, 2013 at Mongar by the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP).
The suspect, from Rubisa gewog, had broken into the Tshokhorlo lhakhang and heisted pieces of Kuthangs believed to be five centuries old.
The 700-year old Tshokhorlo lhakhang belongs to the present Gup of Rubisa gewog.
The burglary was reported to police by the Gup himself, soon after he learned of the broken lock to the lhakhang door in 1988.
The suspect told police that he, along with two friends, had then travelled to Phuentsholing and while he had stayed back in Phuentsholing, his two friends went to Siliguri to find customers, but did not return.
The suspect then left the stolen items in the hotel room and returned back.
He was arrested at the Chhukha check point and had confessed to the crime, and also revealed the whereabouts of the stolen items.
The stolen items were returned back to the owner while the suspect was detained in Thimphu police station, but had managed to escape from the detention cell and was at large until May of this year.
After a tip off, the suspect was arrested in Mongar and escorted to Wangdue Phodrang since the case belongs to the Wangdue Phodrang police station.
The suspect, currently detained at Wangdue Phodrang police station is said to have married and settled in Mongar.
The case has also been forwarded to Office of Attorney General (OAG) for further prosecution.
Charges framed against the suspect by the police, as of now, are burglary, larceny of antiques and escape from lawful custody.