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.
The release of Mr. RK Dorji is one step forward for the establishment of DEMOCRACY in Bhutan. I like to congratulat Mr. Dorji his lawer and all the people who worked tirelessly for the release of Mr. Dorji. It is a matter of rejoice to hear this important announcement. It is a victory of the people,a victory for the Bhutanese people.
Now the question remain about the compensation for Mr. Dorji.He suffered with the security personnel and the tight vigilant in the hands of the India government for 12 long years.
He could have brought many reforms and economic activities in the past 12 years, if he was free.
So, I feel the concerned parties should appropriately compensate Mr Dorji, so that he can move forward to pursue his political goal of establishing inclusive democracy in Bhutan.
Thank you
Devi B. Adhikari
very good news
It is good to know the decision of the court in favour of Mr. Dorji. Hope to see more to see more advocacy for the bhutanese refugeee in days to come.
Thanks to the Indian court system at the end. It is better to be late than never.
Many in Bhutan should see the history of democracy in India where British has played the same game with the Indian leaders, including Jawahar lal Nehru who the RGOB knows has played a key role to Bhutan’s development today and its relation to India.
The democratic history of Nepal is no different. Everyone knows the Koirala family spend generation in India. Then, the koirals were the number enemy of the Kings and people of Nepal, like we have some fanatics in Bhutan who will always please the bosses to get favour, either promotion or training and ill advise the King that they are ngolops.
Why should anyone doubt Bhutan will be different from such changes.
All the best of luck to thE KHOTKINS and MATHANGS of East Bhutan and Khengpa of CENTRAL Bhutan. The court order has quashed the prayer of RGOB for more than 15 years to squeeze RKD in the jail of Bhutan.
For the lovers of democracy in Bhutan, frustrated Sharchops who are treated like slaves, poorest of the Khengkpa who struggle to fight for one meal a day but are forced to say we are HAPPY NATIONALLY, it is your time to make the base and be prepared to see the real freedom on your own, not the so called freedom given to you by sweet mouth of the few who take a monthly salary that you will never see in life time.
It is time to come up, show courage like RKD, you may be ngolop now in the eyes of RGOB but you will be the freedom fighter of real Bhutan. Bhutan today is the window dress of few fools and, fooling few blinds who are from the west who supports the GNH policy because they are wined and dined with every choice of theirs at the cost of poor in the east and central Bhutan.
Bhutan is/will be no different from India and Nepal in the process of achieving real democracy. The other option is, if the present King breaks the barriers and invite the inclusive democracy, he will be prayed for generations as lord Vishnu as we did to JSW which turned to be feeding milk to black Cobra.
The choice is up to the people of east and central and frustrated ngalons from the west.
Palden drukpa ha geylao Rongtong
Ap chencho
The news of Mr. R K Dorji’s Freedom for Movement granted by the Delhi High Court is great. This verdict is a victory not only for Mr. Dorji but for many Bhutanese including myself, who have been struggling for the establishment of true democracy in Bhutan since early 90s. I was in Delhi with him for many years from the day of his unlawful arrest by the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office), which we challenged in the Delhi High Court but citing diplomatic pressure, government of India, detained him illegally until an extradition treaty was signed on May 31, 1997 in a most dramatic manner and his arrest case was put under extradition trial on request made by the royal regime. After a year of imprisonment in the Jihar Central Jail, he was released on June 12, 1998, on the condition that he will not move out of Delhi until his extradition trials is decided finally.
It is now 2009, which means a complete twelve years that Mr. Dorji was kept under the close judicial surveillance of the government of India, not for his alleged crime but to appease the king of Bhutan. When Home Minister Dago Tshering was negotiating with the government of India and Dorji was detained at Lampur Beggars’ Home on April 21, 1997, I met Mr. D. Raja, Secretary of the Communist Party of India, which was supporting the Government of I K Gujral, seeking his help to protect Mr. Dorji from illegal deportation to Bhutan. He told me not to worry and have faith in Indian judiciary, which has been able to defend some value of democracy in India. It was difficult for me to believe on him that day but now I could believe that Indian Judiciary has really proven it as one of the strong pillars of democracy. I take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Dorji. And also my congratulation to his lawyer Mr. V. K. Ohri, for his success in fighting for justice to Mr. Dorji for so many years.
Before I sum up of comment on this historical verdict, I would like to support on the point raised by Mr. Devi Adhikari that Mr. Dorji should be fully compensated for keeping him illegally under detention for such a long duration. It is really true that the concerned parties, responsible for his unlawful detention, should compensate him adequately.
Narad Adhikari
It is a great news. We are convinced that his freedom of movement shall certainly strengthen the democratic movement in the country. Thanks to the judicial system of India. It is proved that justice prevails.
Durga Giri, Munich.
The court Verdict may be in favor of Mr. Rongthong Kinley Dorji but he needs to be very cautious while traveling. If he comes to Nepal he may never be allowed to return to India by the Indian government. He can play a smarter and bigger political game staying in New Delhi rather than coming to Nepal.
Ganesh Subedi
I am very happy to see the news with the portrait of Bhutanese patriot Ap Kinley Dorji. He paid the heavy price of personal comfort and freedom for so long in search of real, lasting peace for the Bhutanese people. Truth suffers with falsehood but prevails at the end, turning ther events upside down.
He should have been listened to seriously and not ill treated. Hope he will enjoy the victory and not seek to kick the faulty players outside the playground. Peace.
Rongthong Kinley is a Bhutanese, he has the right to travel and live in India like any other Bhutanese. India Government can’t stop him from entering India unless they prove him to be a criminal in which case they will have to arrest him.
This news about Mr. Dorji is a part of victory to establish the real Democracy in Bhutan; in addition, it is the victory of Bhutanese living in and out side Bhutan. I like to congratulate his lawyer V. H. Ohri and other people who had helped for the release of him.
Apart from this, I suggest Mr. Dorji to be more cautious while moving from one place to another. Dorji, you should always move forward to establish the real Democracy in Bhutan.