Bhutanese allegedly robbed of two Dzis (Cat's-eye) in Jaigoan, West Bengal
Victim claims it was the Jaigoan police
A Bhutanese resident has written a letter to the Director, Department of Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoAF) with a copy to the Counsel General, Embassy of India here, seeking their help in getting back two Cat's-eye (Dzis) he says he was allegedly robbed in the Indian border town of Jaigoan. He has also submitted that those involved should be brought to justice. Those who know the business say the two would fetch about Nu 10 million or more.
According to the victim (who sought anonimity), on the night of February 10, 2022, at around 10,30 PM, four people, one dressed in the Indian Police uniform of Jaigoan and three in civil dress came to his place. “I live in a flat with three rooms at Raigoan in Jaigoan. While I live in one room, there are two other Bhutanese living in the two other rooms,” he said.
He added that on that night, one of his flat mates knocked and he opened the door. “Without any explanations, warrant and others, the four people immediately looked around. They were especially looking for my spectacles’ cover. It had my most precious remnant, two “Dzis” (one two eyed and the other six eyed) passed down from generations. They took that, seized my mobile phone and also arrested me. I was taken to the Jaigoan police station without any reasons,” he has written in his letter to the MoFA and the Embassuy of India. According to him, the mobile phones of his two friends were also seized.
The victim says he was shocked at the Jaigoan police station as he was told that he was simply making unsubstantiated claims and that I had no “Dzis” and nothing was taken from my flat. “I told I had witnesses (the two men living with me in the same flat), who saw what happened on the night of February 10. And on February 11, 2022, one told at the police station that the four had taken the Cat's- eyes,” he adds.
He further says that when at the police station, he saw the three who had come in their civil dresses to his flat/room. He also said he overheard the officer in command of the police station asking the three why they had gone to his flat. “The three answered that they got reports from a fixed phone saying there were girls (commercial sex workers) at our flat. If this was true, why did they have to search my place,” he says, adding that at the police station he was not even interrogated. “They kept me for 24 hours and I was released at 11.30 PM the next day,” he said.
Though he wanted to lodge complaints at the Jaigoan police station, he was cautioned by people that it was useless. “Some even said my life would be at stake and I also did not see any use in going to a police station where those that robbed me were running the show,” he says.
After completing the required quarantine protocol at Phuentsholing, he came to Thimphu to “seek help and assistance from relevant agencies.”
When asked what he was doing in Jaigoan, he replied that he had got some work in construction and that he has a truck in Jaigoan ferrying goods.
On his expectations from the Embassy of India, he said he wants them to conduct a thorough enquiry. “I also want them to know the state in Jaigoan and how Bhutanese are treated. It is because of people like the ones who robbed me that taint the excellent relations people of Bhutan and India has,” he said.
While the Jaigoan police did not answer any of the calls made from here, The Journalist could not contact the MoFA or the Embassy of India. Nonetheless, the victim is confident that the Embassy will help.
Meanwhile, security personnel in Jaigoan involved in similar practices is not new. In September 2021, Deputy Commandant (DC) of the SSB based in Jalpaiguri, Rajneesh Moral, was transferred and an enquiry conducted because of allegations concerning links with tobacco smugglers and others. It was reported that because of Moral’s influence, junior SSB staff at the Phuentsholing gate started stopping trucks carrying Bhutanese potatoes and vegetables who were being extorted by five Indian journalists, also with links with Moral. Local importers in Jaigaon had told a Bhutanese weekly that if they did not pay the five local journalists then their trucks coming from Bhutan would be stopped by the SSB and Customs.
In his application to the MoFA and the Embassy of India, Tenzin has quoted Article 5 of the 2007 Treaty between Bhutan and Indian, which says: “The Government of Bhutan and the Government of India agree that Bhutanese subjects residing in Indian territories shall have equal justice with Indian subjects, and that Indian subjects residing in Bhutan shall have equal justice with the subjects of the Government of Bhutan.” “I have been denied this,” he says.
Since the incident, Tenzin says he has been under severe trauma. “I cannot even sleep properly,” he says.
Victim claims it was the Jaigoan police
A Bhutanese resident has written a letter to the Director, Department of Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoAF) with a copy to the Counsel General, Embassy of India here, seeking their help in getting back two Cat's-eye (Dzis) he says he was allegedly robbed in the Indian border town of Jaigoan. He has also submitted that those involved should be brought to justice. Those who know the business say the two would fetch about Nu 10 million or more.
According to the victim (who sought anonimity), on the night of February 10, 2022, at around 10,30 PM, four people, one dressed in the Indian Police uniform of Jaigoan and three in civil dress came to his place. “I live in a flat with three rooms at Raigoan in Jaigoan. While I live in one room, there are two other Bhutanese living in the two other rooms,” he said.
He added that on that night, one of his flat mates knocked and he opened the door. “Without any explanations, warrant and others, the four people immediately looked around. They were especially looking for my spectacles’ cover. It had my most precious remnant, two “Dzis” (one two eyed and the other six eyed) passed down from generations. They took that, seized my mobile phone and also arrested me. I was taken to the Jaigoan police station without any reasons,” he has written in his letter to the MoFA and the Embassuy of India. According to him, the mobile phones of his two friends were also seized.
The victim says he was shocked at the Jaigoan police station as he was told that he was simply making unsubstantiated claims and that I had no “Dzis” and nothing was taken from my flat. “I told I had witnesses (the two men living with me in the same flat), who saw what happened on the night of February 10. And on February 11, 2022, one told at the police station that the four had taken the Cat's- eyes,” he adds.
He further says that when at the police station, he saw the three who had come in their civil dresses to his flat/room. He also said he overheard the officer in command of the police station asking the three why they had gone to his flat. “The three answered that they got reports from a fixed phone saying there were girls (commercial sex workers) at our flat. If this was true, why did they have to search my place,” he says, adding that at the police station he was not even interrogated. “They kept me for 24 hours and I was released at 11.30 PM the next day,” he said.
Though he wanted to lodge complaints at the Jaigoan police station, he was cautioned by people that it was useless. “Some even said my life would be at stake and I also did not see any use in going to a police station where those that robbed me were running the show,” he says.
After completing the required quarantine protocol at Phuentsholing, he came to Thimphu to “seek help and assistance from relevant agencies.”
When asked what he was doing in Jaigoan, he replied that he had got some work in construction and that he has a truck in Jaigoan ferrying goods.
On his expectations from the Embassy of India, he said he wants them to conduct a thorough enquiry. “I also want them to know the state in Jaigoan and how Bhutanese are treated. It is because of people like the ones who robbed me that taint the excellent relations people of Bhutan and India has,” he said.
While the Jaigoan police did not answer any of the calls made from here, The Journalist could not contact the MoFA or the Embassy of India. Nonetheless, the victim is confident that the Embassy will help.
Meanwhile, security personnel in Jaigoan involved in similar practices is not new. In September 2021, Deputy Commandant (DC) of the SSB based in Jalpaiguri, Rajneesh Moral, was transferred and an enquiry conducted because of allegations concerning links with tobacco smugglers and others. It was reported that because of Moral’s influence, junior SSB staff at the Phuentsholing gate started stopping trucks carrying Bhutanese potatoes and vegetables who were being extorted by five Indian journalists, also with links with Moral. Local importers in Jaigaon had told a Bhutanese weekly that if they did not pay the five local journalists then their trucks coming from Bhutan would be stopped by the SSB and Customs.
In his application to the MoFA and the Embassy of India, Tenzin has quoted Article 5 of the 2007 Treaty between Bhutan and Indian, which says: “The Government of Bhutan and the Government of India agree that Bhutanese subjects residing in Indian territories shall have equal justice with Indian subjects, and that Indian subjects residing in Bhutan shall have equal justice with the subjects of the Government of Bhutan.” “I have been denied this,” he says.
Since the incident, Tenzin says he has been under severe trauma. “I cannot even sleep properly,” he says.
