Phurpa Lhamo | Punakha     

Police in Punakha arrested two men from Kabisa gewog for breaching lockdown protocols on December 30.

The men, a 55-year-old and 50-year-old, allegedly arrived in Lungtenkha village in Kabisa gewog on December 25 without informing authority. Police received a complaint about them on December 28.

Sources said the men came to Thimphu on December 19 to attend a court case, but after hearing about the nationwide lockdown on December 20, they parked the Maruti Van they drove in Dechencholing and walked to Punakha.

They walked for five hours via Sinchula and reached Kabisa in Punakha.

It was learnt that they decided to walk home as they didn’t have anyone they knew in Thimphu to seek shelter.

Once they reached Punakha, the 50-year-old man stayed with the 55-year-old man at Tongshina for three nights. After his stay, he returned to Kabisa on December 24, claiming he informed the emergency health service.

The medical surveillance team conducted rapid antigen test for both men and they tested negative.

Police officials said they would forward the case to court, charging the due for criminal nuisance and breach of public order and tranquillity under the Penal Code of Bhutan 2004.