Crime: Two brothers – aged 11 and 12 years – in Tsirang will be charged for burglary at Damphu court today.

Tsirang police detained the brothers following a complaint from one of the residents in Mendrelgang.

The two brothers are believed to be repeated offenders.

The brothers confessed to having committed the crime. Police found that they had given Nu 1,500 from Nu 3,400 and 100 Thai Baht they had stolen to their mother.

Sources said that the two brothers were apprehended several times in the past years but were released as they had not attained the age of 12.

The Penal Code of Bhutan says that if a defendant is a child of 12 years and below, he or she shall not be held liable for any offence committed.

Damphu police have handed over the younger brother to the parents.

Thirty-four-year-old mother of the brothers will also be charged for accepting the money without questioning her children.

According to the Penal Code, defendant shall be guilty of the offence of possession of stolen property if the defendant purposely receives, retains or disposes of the property of another person knowing that it was stolen with the intent to benefit oneself.

The 40-year-old father said that when he asked why she [mother] accepted the money, she said that children had brought money saying that they earned the money from the construction site where they had been breaking stones.

Yeshey Dema, Tsirang