Crime: Sipsu dungkhag court yesterday sentenced Norgaygang (Bara) gup in Samtse to one-year compoundable prison term for official misconduct.

Gup Shankar Gurung was charged for issuing a “to whom so ever it may concern” letter to an Indian national, Bhakta Bir Gurung, in May last year. The Indian had a land dispute with his father Luxmi Prasad Gurung in Godok, Darjeeling, India.

The gup had issued the letter in support of Bhakta Bir Gurung stating that his father Luxmi Prasad Gurung had left the country in 1991.

Samtse dzongkhag administration, in their investigation, found out that the father who had left the country was not from Norgaygang but from Pemaling (Sipsu) gewog.

Following the investigation, gewog tshogdu members were summoned and interviewed. The members had no knowledge about the issue and were not consulted.

Gup Shankar Gurung would be the second gup in the dzongkhag to be terminated after former Tading gewog gup. Gup Shankar Gurung shall be removed or dismissed from his post in line with the Local Government Act and the Local Government rules and regulations.

As it is a compoundable prison term, the defendant shall pay Nu 45,000 in lieu of the prison term.

Rajesh Rai | Phuentsholing