With so much news coverage on the elections this news is quite a change and I think it will be interesting to follow this case:

KOL: 19 January, 2008 - After being remanded for nine days under judicial custody, Sonam Dukpa, the proprietor of Eastern Bhutan Coal Company and Eastern Bhutan Silicon Private Ltd., was granted bail by the Samdrup Jongkhar district court yesterday.

According to sources in Samdrup Jongkhar, Sonam Dukpa was arrested and charged with “malicious mischief,” after he demolished the Royal Bhutan Police’s sport facilities. He had allegedly trespassed and destroyed a badminton court and a tennis court in the compound of the RBP camp on January 7 and 8. He had reportedly deployed about 17 labourers and two excavators to raze the courts that he had built for the camp some years ago.

Kuensel learnt that Sonam Dukpa had resorted to such an act because he was reportedly not given a police escort when he travelled on business through sensitive areas. He was detained by police on January 10.

According to the Penal Code of Bhutan, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of malicious mischief if the defendant, without right or any reasonable ground, tampers with public or private property with intent to cause substantial inconvenience to the owner or to a third person.

The offence of malicious mischief is considered a “misdemeanour” for which a defendant, if found guilty, is liable to a prison term from one to three years.

This is the first time I have ever heard of a badminton and tennis court being bulldozed by a man in anger and that too in police premises. As they say, there is always a first time. To me it looks like Sonam Dukpa could not overcome anger at not getting police escort. I think next time he will not bulldoze courts again.

Here is the latest development in this story from BBS:

Proprietor of Eastern Bhutan Coal Company receives a three years nine months prison sentence

February 5 : The Samdrup Jongkhar district court has sentenced the proprietor of the Eastern Bhutan Coal Company and Eastern Bhutan Silicon Private limited Sonam Drukpa to three years and nine months in prison. The verdict was passed yesterday.

The court found Sonam Drukpa guilty of malicious mischief. He has been found guilty of trespassing into the RBP compound and destroying the badminton courts on 7th and 8th January.

The court also sentenced former chief of police Wangdi Tshering to one year and a half in prison.

He has been found guilty of supervising the team of people who were sent by Sonam Dukpa to demolish the sports facilities.