Rajesh Ra | Phuentsholing

While police in Phuentsholing are investigating a case of a 40-year-old man, who went missing on June 8 and found dead a week later, relatives of the deceased are suspecting foul play.

Police found the body on June 15 in the drain of the truck parking area and handed it over to the deceased’s brother, Ajit Rai, 33.

According to the brother, the deceased went missing on the day he returned after completing a month-long security guard training in Paro. He had come to Phuentsholing town from Pasakha to stitch his dress.

“He was supposed to join an industry as a guard on June 9, but he went missing the same evening,” Ajit Rai said, adding he had come to the town with a friend who had also completed the security training and was supposed to join an industry in Pasakha.




After the deceased did not return home, Ajit Rai complained on June 10 and filed a missing person complaint on June 15. The body was found later that day.

Although the deceased had been in a rehab centre for six months for alcohol, Ajit Rai said his brother was not the one who would drink until he died.

“The doctor said that my brother could have died four to five days before June 15 looking at the condition of the body,” he said.

Ajit Rai said his deceased brother had a cut mark on his forehead and a swollen neck.

He is not ready to accept it as a natural death and claims he is particularly skeptical because of CCTV footage he secured from the town where his brother is seen meeting his friends.




“One of the friends who shook hands with my brother is denying he met him. He is also saying he doesn’t know my brother,” Ajit Rai said. “But the CCTV footage clearly shows they knew each other. That is why they shook hands and left from that shop area together.”

Kuensel also saw the CCTV footage.

Ajit Rai said he inquired another friend of the deceased, who denied they met on June 8, and had lied he was in Paro that day.

“But he was in Phuentsholing on June 8 and there were four friends, three men and a woman when they met my brother.”

He said his parents are in a bad state.

“Even if it is not a murder, we want to know the cause of his death.”




Ajit Rai has not yet taken the death certificate.

Meanwhile, a police source said that they have crosschecked the CCTV footage and there was no evidence to suspect murder.

“However, the case is still under investigation,” the police source said. “Should there be any further evidence, it will be charged to the court.”

Police are also aware that the deceased used to consume alcohol.

“Rain caused flooding and it could be an accidental death too,” a police source said.