Crime: Tandin Gyeltshen refused to admit that he intentionally murdered taxi drive Khanku on the night of April 21.

The accused submitted his rebuttal to Thimphu district court’s bench IV yesterday.

Tandin Gyeltshen said that he doesn’t remember anything that happened on the way from Phuntsholing to Thimphu on the night of April 20. He admitted, however, that he had consumed more drugs than usual and was intoxicated.

He said that he got back to sense only when they reached Changjalu. That’s when he asked the driver for their controlled substance he and his friend Karma Dorji gave him for safekeeping.

Tandin Gyeltshen said that he was stressed with the news of his mother’s death and problem with his wife. When the driver refused to give back the substance, Tandin Gyeltshen was furious and punched the driver. He later stabbed him twice.

Tandin Gyeltshen submitted to the court that he stabbed the driver because the driver tried to take out his knife. While he confessed to having driven the taxi towards Royal Thimphu College, but does not remember stabbing him.

“If I had stabbed the driver many times in the taxi, he could have died in the car,” said Tandin Gyeltshen.

He said that he remember seeing the knife in Karma Dorji’s hand when they disposed of the body.

Both Tandin Gyeltshen and Karma Dorji maintained their stand that they did not commit the crime intentionally.

Karma Dorji said that he could not help the deceased because he was scared that Tandin Gyeltshen might also kill him. He could not get away from the crime scene because Tandin Gyeltshen was with him the whole time.

OAG will submit the evidences on August 6.

By Dechen Tshomo