Nim Dorji | Trongsa

Bumthang dzongkhag court sentenced a 26-year-old man from Kharsa in Chhoekhor gewog to 15 years in prison for larceny.  

He was convicted of stealing a Golden Scripture from his ancestral home. The judgment was issued on March 16 virtually. 

The case surfaced after the lady of the household informed the police it was missing. She found the scripture missing when she went to get it for the annual community ritual.

It was recovered from a middleman’s home in Thimphu and returned to the owner.

During the trial, the man argued that the scripture is his family’s inheritance and was given to him by his mother as a patrimony and he had the right over it.

However, the court didn’t find any documents to support his claim. Moreover, he lived separately with his wife and children in Chamkhar.

According to the judgment, the man along with a friend stole the scripture that belonged to his mother, in 2020. They tried to sell it in Wangdue to two men.

A 25-year man, a friend of the convict from Dorjibee in Chhoekhor was convicted for failing to report the crime. He has to pay a penalty of 90 days’ daily minimum wage.

Another 27-year old man from Nabisa in Nahi, Wangdue is imprisoned for seven-year six months for possession of stolen property. He is given a prison term of seven and a half years for possessing stolen property.

Another 28-year old man from Yuesa in Gangtey geog in Wangdue was convicted and asked to pay 90 days’ daily minimum wage for not reporting the crime.

The court acquitted three others who were charged in the case.