The battery continues to be one of the leading crimes in Thimphu. According to the Police, almost 250 battery cases were recorded last year. However, compared to the previous years, it has decreased in 2020. The decrease, according to the Police is due to intensive patrolling.
According to the Police, most of the people engaged in battery cases were aged between 12 to 25 years. And a maximum of them was out of school youth, unemployed and illiterate. As per the Police, alcohol and drugs are some of the reasons for the battery.
However, the battery cases in Thimphu have dropped last year. From about 280 battery cases in 2019, it has decreased by around 30 cases last year.
“Battery cases mostly happen during odd hours. Earlier, the Police were having some manpower shortage. However, the DeSuup deployment has solved our problem now,” said Major Gembo Penjor, Officer in Command of Thimphu Police Station.
He added that “even during the odd hours, we do intensive patrolling. So, anybody who is seen outside or in groups, we always question them. So, in this way, the battery cases have been reduced.”
He said the other reason is due to the Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) project which was started by the Chief of Police.
“ILP means where the crime has been committed in a particular place and in that place, we discuss with the stakeholders and then, we do intensive patrolling. We implant informers and we try to detect the crimes whereby we will be concentrating in that particular place only,” said the Officer in Command.
According to the Penal Code of Bhutan, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of battery, if the defendant purposely uses the physical force of an adverse nature on another person.
Pema Seldon Tshering
