District court sentences three Indians to life imprisonment for murdering Tibetan Youth

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Dec 1: The district court of Dharamsala has sentenced three local Indians to life imprisonment for murdering a Tibetan youth.

“The court today held all the three accused guilty for murdering Tsultrim Chokden and sentenced them for life. The trio was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 each,” the plaintiff’s advocate Kunsang Topden from Tibetan Legal Association (TLA) told Tibet Express.

14017798_1232424780135263_1936548060_n-624x437After careful evaluation of evidence and witnesses, Justice Sh. Sharad Kumar Lagwal booked the trio for Murder u/s 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal code and sentenced them for life under Indian Penal code, the office report of the TLA stated.

The plaintiff’s advocate further said, “Along with the Tibetan settlement officer Dawa Rinchen and MP Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, representatives from Students for a Free Tibet, Tibetan Women Association, Tibetan Youth Congress, Ghu-Chu-Sum, Chu-Shi-Gangdruk and National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT) were in attendance for today’s hearing.”

The hon’ble Justice Sh. Sharad Kumar Lagwal of  District and Session Court Dharamsala, Kangra District pronounced the sentence after 34 Court hearings.

The three local Indian youth, Kailash Kumar (24 yrs, TCV SOS +2 Passed out) accompanied by his friends Mahesh Kumar (21 yrs) and Rinku Kumar (22 yrs) were drunk and followed Tsultrim Chokden and his lady friend whom he was walking home after dinner. The trio passed comments on them following which a fight ensued and the Tibetan youth was brutally stabbed and died on his way to the hospital around midnight of Oct 30, 2015.

Following which, a case was registered (FIR 60/15) on Oct 31, 2015 and the accused were arrested by police on Nov 1, 2015.