The Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s judgment, sentencing Sonam Norbu to life imprisonment for the murder of 24-year-old Namgay Dolkar. The court established that the 40-year-old had both the motive and intention to kill the 24-year-old. The judgment was passed this afternoon.
According to the judgment, Sonam Norbu intended to kill the woman and had planned the murder so that he could continue living with his family without any future complications.
The court found that on 12th August 2023, Sonam Norbu messaged the deceased to ask what time they should meet the following day.
On 13th August, he booked two rooms at a hotel in Thimphu but later cancelled the bookings.
Furthermore, CCTV footage showed the convict picking up the deceased from the NPPF colony in Thimphu, away from area covered by surveillance camera, after which they proceeded towards Khariphu. The court noted that these actions substantiated his motive.
The body of the deceased was discovered about 500 metres downstream of Khariphu Bridge on 14th August 2023.
Police suspected foul play as the body bore several bruises. Sonam Norbu was arrested after police found that he was the last person the deceased had spoken to over the phone before her disappearance.
During police interrogation, he confessed to strangling the victim following an argument but claimed that she later jumped off the bridge.
Sonam Norbu appealed to the Supreme Court in April last year, arguing that the High Court’s judgment was based on circumstantial rather than direct evidence.
The High Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment in March last year, overturning the Thimphu District Court’s 2024 ruling, which had found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to nearly 15 years in prison.
Tashi Dekar
