… the stolen chickens were sold to labourers

Chencho Dema | Punakha 

Punakha police on January 24 charged a 65-year-old man for stealing three chickens from a poultry farm in Lobesa, Punakha.

According to the farm owner’s complaint, on December 12 night an unidentified person broke into the farm in Manigang under Barp Gewog, Punakha, and took three chickens.

The owner noticed that the planks and metal net from the rear side of the farm were damaged.

The owner, who is from Sangacholing village in Samtse, is a businessman who lives in Lobesa about a kilometre away from the poultry farm. He said in a statement to the police that he had lost chicken several times.

The accused is from Manigang village. The owner named him as a suspect and he was detained.

Police found feathers at a labour camp close to the suspect’s home.

The six labourers admitted to the police that the suspect had visited their camp with three hens and asked them to buy. They paid Nu 1,200 for the three hens.

The labourers were unaware that the hens were stolen and that no charges had been brought against them. The labourers had chicken dinner.

But when questioned, the suspect maintained he had purchased the hens from another source and denied committing any crime.

When questioning the suspect’s wife, she stated that they have no chicken at their home.

The suspect was charged in court with larceny under section 240 of the Penal Code.