The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Punakha Dzongkhag Court on 6th November 2025 sentenced Ugyen Tshering to life imprisonment for the murder of former Dorji Lopen Yonten Gyeltshen that occurred on 2nd July 2025.
Ugyen Tshering was charged with murder under Section 138(a) of the Penal Code of Bhutan which states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of murder, if the defendant commits a homicide knowingly and deliberately with premeditated malice.
The offence of murder shall be a felony of the first degree which is awarded a sentence of life imprisonment.
Court Findings
The Court found that the accused had deliberately planned the act in advance such as contacting acquaintance at Nalanda Shedra to confirm the victim’s whereabouts. On the night of the crime, the accused stole a vehicle, travelled to Nalanda Shedra, armed himself with a metal rod, and unlawfully entered the victim’s residence with intent to rob.
While the 90-year-old victim exited his choesham, the accused struck the victim nine times on the head, causing fatal injuries.
The post-mortem report confirmed multiple blunt force injuries to the head consistent with the use of the metal rod recovered from the crime scene.
CCTV footage validated the accused’s presence in the victim’s house at around 10:37 pm, showing him masked and carrying the bloodstained weapon.
The accused confessed to the crime and admitted stealing a purse containing cash, a yellow wristwatch, a pair of binoculars, and a smart phone.
With all the evidence and the confession, the Court held that the attack was knowingly and deliberately committed with premeditated malice, satisfying the elements of murder as a first-degree felony.
The subsequent theft also constituted the offence of burglary as the accused entered the victim’s premises without permission and with an intent to commit a crime, hence the court added burglary charge.
The items seized from the accused, one Samsung A16 smartphone, one Seiko watch, one pair of binoculars, and cash (Bhutanese, Indian, and Japanese currency) will be returned to the victim’s family.
