Ugyen Tshering Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murder of Former Dorji Lopen Yonten Gyeltshen
Punakha | November 7, 2025 — The Punakha Dzongkhag Court has sentenced Ugyen Tshering to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of former Dorji Lopen Yonten Gyeltshen, following a detailed judgment delivered on November 6.
According to the court’s verdict, Ugyen Tshering was found guilty under Section 138(a) of the Penal Code of Bhutan for the intentional killing of the 90-year-old revered religious figure on July 2, 2025. The conviction carries a life sentence as prescribed under Section 7(a) of the Penal Code (Amendment) 2011.
The judgment revealed that the murder was carefully planned. Ugyen Tshering had contacted an acquaintance at Nalanda Shedra to confirm the victim’s whereabouts before stealing a vehicle and travelling to the monastery armed with a metal rod. On the night of the incident, he broke into the victim’s residence with the intention to rob him. When the victim emerged from his choesham, Ugyen Tshering struck him repeatedly — nine times on the head — causing his death.
A post-mortem report confirmed that the injuries were consistent with the recovered weapon. CCTV footage placed the accused at the scene around 10:37 PM, showing him masked and holding a bloodstained rod. The accused later confessed to the crime and admitted to stealing a purse containing cash, a wristwatch, binoculars, and a Samsung smartphone.
The court determined that the offence met all the elements of first-degree murder under Sections 138(a) and 139 of the Penal Code of Bhutan 2004. It also ruled that the unlawful entry constituted burglary under Section 235.
Citing the deliberate nature of the act, the spiritual standing of the victim, and the accused’s lack of remorse, the court imposed a life imprisonment sentence.
Additionally, the court ordered that all seized items — including a Samsung A16 smartphone, a Seiko clock, binoculars, and cash in Bhutanese, Indian, and Japanese currencies — be returned to the late Dorji Lopen’s family.
