Rongthong freed for travel

December 27, 2009: The Delhi High Court has issued verdict in favor of allowing Rongthong Kunley Dorji to travel anywhere on December 21.

The court had earlier issued a stay order on the extradition proceedings in the District Court against Rongthong Kunley Dorji on December 10. The verdict was given by Divisional Bench comprising of Justice Sanjau Kishan Kaul and Justice Ajit Bharihoke. Dorji was restricted from traveling outside Delhi till then.

The verdict comes on the second day of the state visit by King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk to India.

Dorij, president of the Druk National Congress, expressed happiness regarding the latest updates and expressed his willingness to travel to Nepal and talk with exiled Bhutanese and work for democratic struggle.

His lawyer V. H. Ohri said, “We challenged the extradition proceedings and the Indian government failed to substantiate its allegations on Dorji and extradite him to Bhutan.”

Ohri was optimistic that freedom granted to Dorji will help strengthen democratic struggle in Bhutan.

The next date for hearing in the Delhi High Court on the petition seeking quashing of the extradition proceedings against Dorji has been rescheduled for April 7, 2010.

Dorij was arrested in 1997 from Delhi while he was in lobby mission. The government of Bhutan had sought assistance from India for Dorji’s extradition. International pressure compelled Indian government to withhold its extradition plans.

See the detail updates of Dorji’s case in Delhi since his arrest.