In a case that is perceived as an alleged conspiracy involving the highest echelons of the judiciary and the military in Bhutan, the country’s police detained the highest-ranking judge of its Supreme Court, a senior military officer and a judge of the district court for allegedly plotting to replace the Chief Justice, the chief of the army and a senior Bhutanese law official.
According to Bhutan’s official state newspaper, Kuensel, Bhutan police detained the highest-ranking Supreme Court judge, Kuenlay Tshering, along with the drangpon (associate judge) of the Pemagatshel Dzongkhag administrative unit, Yeshey Dorji, on Wednesday.
Incidentally, Judge Kuenlay Tshering was present when Judge SA Bobde was sworn in as president of the Indian court in November 2019.
Judge Tshering had recently said that he had studied law at the University of Bombay.
Kuensel reported that the two arrests were made after a former Corps Royal Guard commander, Brigadier Thinley Tobgye, was arrested in connection with a criminal conspiracy against the Chief of Operations, equivalent to the Army Chief, of the Royal Army of Bhutan.
“The alleged criminal conspiracy case came to light after a woman who was arrested a few months ago revealed details about the conspiracy relationship. According to the sources, the three allegedly wanted to become the RBA’s director of operations, the president of the Supreme Court and the attorney general or secretary general of the Supreme Court, ”the report says.
The Bhutanese, a privately run newspaper, gave a more detailed description of the case.
“Last night, after office hours ended, the Royal Bhutan Police arrested Supreme Court Justice Kuenlay Tshering (elephant bench or bench 1) and Pemagatshel Dzongkhag Drangpon (Pemagatshel district judge) Yeshey Dorji. Judge Kuenlay was arrested at his home. This followed the earlier arrest of the former Brigade Corps Royal Guard commander, Brigadier Thinley Tobgay, ”the report says.
Written by The Bhutanese editor Tenzing Lamsang, the report citing sources says the three were arrested in the same case for attempting to frame current RBA director of operations Goongloen Gongma (Lieutenant General) Batoo Tshering in what has been called “a false case of corruption”.
He said former RBG Brigadier Thinley Tobgay had allegedly “illegally obtained some RBA documents on the procurement of United Nations vehicles” and was attempting to use the documents to “undermine the director of operations.”
The report said the brigadier was accused of using a woman named Khandu Wangmo to deliver those documents to Judge Tshering for charges so that they could be sent to the Bhutan Anti-Corruption Commission for a case against the director of operations.
He said that District Judge Yeshey Dorji is not directly involved in the above process, but was detained because he was aware of what was happening.
The Bhutanese reported, citing sources, that “the three defendants were friends who knew each other well.”
“The motivation of the group was to assume the positions of COO, President of the Supreme Court and Attorney General or Registrar General of the Supreme Court,” he said.
The case was sent to the Thimphu District Court on Wednesday morning based on the police investigation.
Sources in New Delhi called the current situation “unprecedented” in the Himalayan nation, adding that India was closely following the case in Thimphu.
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.