Murder accused held, remanded in judicial custody

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 1

Tension prevailed in McLeodganj after gruesome murder of a Tibetan youth by three locals yesterday night. The three accused, including Kailash from Dosalani village near McLeodganj, Rinku from Balaher village near Shahpur and Mahesh Kumar from Ramba village, were today remanded in judicial custody after the police produced them before the duty magistrate.

The sources here said that on October 30 at about 11.30 pm, Tibetan youth Tsultrim Chokden, was going home along with his girl friend after having dinner at a hotel in McLeodganj. The couple was walking down the lane on the McLeodganj-Bhagsunag road when three local youth travelling on a motorcycle passed indecent comments on the girl friend of Tsultrim Chokden.

A verbal duel broke out between Tsultrim Chokden and local youth. After that the couple walked forward toward their home on Bhagsu road. When reached near the hotel the three youth allegedly came back on a motor cycle and attacked the Tibetan Youth. They stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach and fled towards Bhagsunag. The girl friend of the youth called the police after which he was carried to Dharamsala Zonal Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The police have registered a case under section 302 of the IPC. The police have managed to get a clip of the youth involved in the murder of Tibetan youth from the CCTV camera installed at the main square of McLeodganj. All the three youth were arrested by the police by yesterday evening. The sources here said that the police have also recovered the knife used in murder.

The deceased Tsultrim Chokden was from Chusang township in Tsongon in Tibet. He came to India in 2003 and went to Drepung Gomang monastery in Mundgod, South India. He was staying in Dharamshala since 2009. Tsultrim was presently studying poetry, English and computer in British council in New Delhi.

The incident has brought to the fore deteriorating law and order situation in McLeodganj. Vikas, a local said, that drunk youth can be spotted in McLeodganj. Even the tourists do not feel safe travelling in the night on Bhagsunag and Dharamkot roads.

Some of the locals said the presence of a large number of taxi operators at McLeodganj who do not have any much work is also adding to law and order problem in the area.

A few years ago, a local youth was murdered by Tibetans that led to clashes between locals and Tibetans. It was only after the intervention of the Dalai Lama that peace was restored.