Police have called it a clear case of homicide and are on the lookout for suspects

Crime: A man was found dead in a pool of blood yesterday around 7.30am below Shearee Square in Lungtenphu, Thimphu, making it perhaps the first case of cold-blooded murder this year.

According to police, the man, who is yet to be identified, was thrown off the attic of the Central Plaza building.  The body was lying at the entrance of the five storied-building.

The building sweeper discovered the body when he went to switch off the lights.  The sweeper informed the owner immediately, after which the owner informed police.

Police said it was a case of homicide and that they were looking for suspects.  The murder is suspected to have taken place in one of the flats in the attic, after which it was dragged to the balcony and thrown off.  The occupant of the flat is also missing.

Police are trying to identify the deceased, who was 5’ 2” tall with fair complexion.  He was found wearing blue jeans and a black jacket.  The body also had tattoos on the left hand of a star, and another one of a stupa on the chest.

Police officials said there were no documents on the body to identify, as his face was mutilated.  The body is being kept at the Thimphu referral hospital’s mortuary and will be handed over only if relatives and family members come to claim it.

According to health officials, the murder could have happened around midnight.  The body had multiple fractures and a wound on the head.  He had also suffered two massive fractures on the left leg.  The house was stained with blood, and officials found stained broken bricks at the house.

Neighbours, Kuensel spoke with, said they did not hear any scuffle, and learnt about the incident only in the morning after police arrived.

The owner of Central Plaza building said the apartment was rented out to a person, who owns a shop in town, but his brother used to live there.  Most of the flats are occupied as shops, while some flats on the top floors are rented out as low-budget apartments to couples and bachelors.

As of yesterday afternoon, police were questioning residents and shopkeepers in the vicinity, and footage of surveillance cameras in the shops was scanned as well.  There are also bloodstains on the retention wall and at the entrance of the building.

The incident has brought to light the safety of the area, which, residents and shopkeepers said, has always been an issue.

A resident said the area was overcrowded and wasn’t safe at all. “It gets too noisy at night and there have been cases of vehicle vandalism, fights and burglaries.”

Shop owners at Central Plaza said although the area was a shopping centre, there were no security guards, which was a major issue.

“The place was never safe and we had several incidents of burglary,” a shop owner said, adding that it also becomes the responsibility of building owners to ensure safety of tenants.

Kinga Dema