The Deputy Chief of Police for Crime and Operations (DCOP), Colonel Dorji Wangchuk, was terminated from service recently for tampering with evidence related to the Criminal Conspiracy Case. However, he was not directly involved in the case.
He has served in the armed force for 36 years and was supposed to retire towards the end of next year.
According to sources, Khandu Wangmo, one of the defendants in the criminal conspiracy case, approached the former DCOP in 2016 to help her recover an audio clip from her ex-boyfriend. She allegedly complained to him that her ex-boyfriend, an army officer, is harassing her using a recorded audio clip of hers.
The former DCOP then asked her ex-boyfriend to delete the audio clip and to solve their problem through mutual understanding. Sources say the army officer deleted the audio clip thereafter since the former DCOP is senior armed force personnel.
However, during the investigation of the Criminal Conspiracy Case, it was revealed that she harassed and threatened her ex-boyfriend and subjected him to emotional and mental distress in 2016. The Thimphu District Court also sentenced her to a compoundable prison term of six months for this recently.
Khandu Wangmo knows the former Deputy Chief through her first husband, who is also a police officer.
According to sources, since he was not directly involved in the conspiracy case, the Office of the Attorney General directed the Police to take administrative action against him. Based on the recommendation of the Police Enquiry Committee, he was terminated from service on the 1st of June.
Tshering Zam/Pema Seldon Tshering
Edited by Sonam