Trashigang dzongkhag court sentenced a 34-year-old man from Ritshangdung in Kanglung to life imprisonment for vandalising a choeten in the locality.

The judgment given on March 8 stated that Druptho Dorji, a farmer, was found guilty of violating section 351 (A) and section 7 (B) of the Penal Code of Bhutan.

Section 351 (A) of the Penal Code states, “A defendant shall be guilty of the offence against the Ku, Sung, Thuk-Ten, or Zung if the defendant removes a Zung from a choeten or religious statue.”

The offence is graded a first-degree felony according to section 352 of the Penal Code.

Section 7(B) of the Penal Code states that life imprisonment shall be awarded to the defendant for the offence against the Ku, Sung, Thuk-ten and Zung.

Druptho Dorji was arrested on November 8 last year after seven men from the locality saw him vandalising a choeten in Choema village of Ritshangdung chiwog around 10:28pm.

The judgment stated that Druptho Dorji fled the scene after the men saw him. “He, however, left behind a pata(knife) with which he dug the choeten and a pair of rubber boots.”

It stated that the men reported the incident to the tshogpa who then informed the community-based police unit in Kanglung.

The investigation team found the choeten vandalised.

Police apprehended Druptho Dorji from his house around 1am the next day.

Office of the Attorney General attorney, who prosecuted the case, submitted before the court that Druptho Dorji confessed that the rubber boots found at the scene belonged to him.

He had also confessed that the stolen items from the choeten were hidden in the jungle.

Following the confession, police recovered the stolen items from the exact location revealed by Druptho Dorji.

Meanwhile, according to the residents of the village, Druptho Dorji is mentally unstable.

The village tshogpa, Tashi Namgay, said the father of two would act weird all of sudden.

It was also learned that Druptho Dorji could not hear properly and stammered.

However, police said that his mental instability was not testified from the hospital.

Younten Tshedup | Trashigang