Shocked residents say, the town is not safe anymore

Crime: A cold-blooded murder of a 51-year-old Indian man at Harinam Tshongkhang in Phuentsholing has shocked residents in the country’s commercial hub.

Sources say the deceased was the one of the senior employees with the store at Zangtopelri zone.

The murder was discovered yesterday morning when the shop was opened for business. The deceased’s body was inside the store.

Police said the deceased had died about 10-11 hours from the time it was discovered. A staff that opened the shop early morning had discovered the body inside the garment shop.

A pair of surgical gloves was thrown into a dustbin outside the store and a trail of footprints stained with blood was clearly visible, said sources.

The deceased had sustained multiple stabs on his body and had his throat slit open.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s body was kept untouched the whole day for sniffer dog squad team to arrive to the scene from Thimphu. As of yesterday evening, Phuentsholing police team had deployed the sniffer dog at the scene.

The suspect is still at large. In connection to the crime, four staff of the store were detained for interrogation, sources said. Police said they are still investigating and did not comment further.

A shopkeeper in Zongtopelri, Sonam said he was taken by surprise to know of the incident. “It has become very unsafe these days,” he said.

Harinam Tshongkhang is one of the oldest shops in town. It deals in garments and although a non-Bhutanese owns the store, the owner has a valid Bhutanese trade license.

By Rajesh Rai, Phuentsholing

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