Bumthang District Court sentenced five men in connection with offence against Ku,Sung, Thuk-Ten, or Zung. The sentence ranges from more than one and half years to life imprisonment.
The verdict which was pronounced on May 12, this year, convicted five men for stealing, illegal sale, and purchase of 12-eyed Dzee or cat’s eye from Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang, a year ago.
They were also found guilty of aiding and abetting the crime.
The court has ordered the four convicts (Lham Rinchen, Sonam Dorji, Tshewang Gyeltshen, and Sangay Wangchuck) to repay Nu 2M which they received from the sale of the cat’s eye to the government.
However, the court passed default judgement on Tshewang Gyeltshen for failing to appear before the court of law during the case hearings. He has been missing since December, last year after the court granted him bail.
Another convict named Tshering Nima has been asked to repay Nu 1.7 M to the government.
According to the verdict, 19 year-old monk Lham Rinchen had stolen the cat’s eye from Jow Jampa statue, the main relic of Jampa Lhakhang. He then gave it to Sonam Dorji, a taxi driver.
Sonam Dorji with his accomplices, Tshewang Gyeltshen and Sangay Wangchuk sold the antique to Tshering Nima, a Delhi based resident.
The price they fetched from the latter was Nu 2 M.
Tshering Nima sold the Dzee to a Chinese National at Nu 3.7M at Kakarbhitta, India-Nepal border. However, the Dzee was never recovered.
The Office of the Attorney General forwarded the case to Bumthang District Court in October, last year.
The case came into the limelight during the routine handing taking of lhakhang which took place a month after the Dzee was stolen.
