The Monggar police forwarded the case of 16 individuals allegedly found playing archery during Nyilo on January 2 while the nation was under lockdown. Following an anonymous call to the Dzongkhag COVID-19 control room, the Dzongda who is also the Incident Commander of the Dzongkhag COVID 19 Taskforce directed the Gewog COVID-19 Taskforce of Ngatshang to investigate the case on January 4.
The gewog taskforce was also asked to file the report of action taken to the Dzongkhag COVID-19 Taskforce.
Following the directive from the Dzongkhag, the gewog COVID-19 taskforce found three groups of archers allegedly breached the lockdown protocol by playing archery. The gewog taskforce found that two groups of people involving ten individuals played archery in two different locations of Ngatshang chiwog while another group with six players played archery in Pelshoop chiwog. The archers admitted to breaching the lockdown protocol. The task force also submitted a detail investigation report to the Dzongkhag COVID 19 taskforce on January 5.
The Dzongkhag COVID-19 Taskforce then forwarded the case to the police on January 9.
Meanwhile, the police will also forward another case related to breaching the lockdown protocols to the court tomorrow. Eight women from Thridangbi in Saling Gewog have also allegedly breached the lockdown protocol by playing khuru on Nyilo. They have all confessed to breaching the lockdown protocols.
Police charged them with Breaching of Public Order and Tranquility (section 448) of the Penal Code of Bhutan. The crime will be graded as a petty misdemeanour liable for imprisonment of less than one year and more than three months.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
