Chencho Dema

Sunil Rai, a 24-year-old inmate from Tsirang, who was already serving a life sentence for a double murder, has been sentenced to an additional 14 years, 11 months, and 29 days for killing his cellmate in the early hours of August 17 at Chamgang Prison.

The Thimphu District Court’s Criminal Bench convicted him for voluntary manslaughter on November 28.

The deceased, a 26-year-old from Samtse, was a repeat offender previously convicted of larceny and serving his prison sentence at the time of his death.

The victim reportedly attempted to sodomize Sunil Rai, which prompted the fatal attack.

According to the police investigation, Sunil Rai claimed that the deceased had made prior advances despite warnings to stop.

However, on that particular night, Sunil Rai became frustrated with the deceased’s behaviour and struck him on the back of the head with a bed plank. The deceased collapsed and succumbed to the injuries. He then hit the deceased on the head six more times before strangling him with a bedsheet.

No one was aware of the incident. The incident was reported to Babesa police station at around 6:20 am the next morning.

Following the police investigation, the case was sent to the Office of the Attorney General on September 7.

Tsirang District Court had convicted Sunil Rai to life on June 15 last year for the murder of his foster parents in Tsirang Toed.

The confrontation escalated when his adopted father reprimanded Sunil Rai for tearing his jacket and quarreling with his wife. He attacked the couple with a machete. The couple’s bodies were later recovered from a septic tank behind their house.

The couple’s 18-year-old biological son, who was also attacked, managed to escape and inform the neighbours.