Thimphu dzongkhag court’s criminal bench II sentenced a businessman, who tried to flee with a six-eyed dzee in May this year, to six years in prison.

The judgment rendered last week stated that Sangay Dorji, 28, from Samar in Haa took the dzee and fled when he was trying to negotiate the price with the owner.

The incident took place on May 17 in one of the restaurants in Thimphu town.

The judgment sated that Sangay Dorji confessed to the crime and he was given a value-based sentencing in accordance with section 244 of Penal Code of Bhutan (PCB).

It stated that the crime is graded a third-degree felony based on a Supreme Court’s order of March 21, which states that the price of dzee fetches millions in the market and therefore the order from home ministry’s Department of Culture (DoC) on the value of dzee should be amended.

A committee from DoC initially issued an order, which authenticated the dzee as original and that it could fetch Nu 600,000.

The sentencing was based on the value of the dzee negotiated between Sangay Dorji and the woman, which is Nu 7.7 million(M) .

Sangay Dorji, who is a class eight drop out and a former monk, was charged with a similar crime and handed four months imprisonment before.

The judgment stated that he called the woman on May 16 claiming that he would buy her dzee for Nu 7.7M. “But after he fled, the woman shouted for help and chased the man.”

It stated that an off-duty constable caught him near the old taxi parking.

According to sources, the woman tried to sell the dzee to Sangay Dorji’s brother a month before the incident but failed.

Tashi Tenzin