By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb.17: The death of a Tibetan man in the forest near Mcloed Ganj on Feb. 6 has been ruled “accidental death” by the local police following a postmortem at the Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala.
Speaking to Phayul, the Dharamshala Settlement Officer Tsering Lhamo said, “The settlement office was called by a TCV staff passing through the forest trail about a man in the forest lying unconscious in the afternoon of Feb. 6. That is how he was found.” The postmortem revealed that the death was caused by “brain hemorrhage” due to head trauma, Tsering said.
The spot of death, Tsering said, “is below a 40ft cliff from which the deceased seemed to have fallen. And his trousers were torn, may be from the fall.” Since all of his possessions including money, watch, Hepatitis medication and hospital slips were on the deceased, Tsering said it did not appear to be a case of theft or robbery.
The deceased Karma Lhundup, aged 45, was found dead at a trail connecting McLoed Ganj to TCV. A resident of Tashi Jong near Baijnath, he worked as a cook at the Tashi Jong Monastery and had also worked as a cook at the Ganden Choeling Nunnery earlier.
The deceased had come to Dharamshala to “renew his R.C (Registration Certificate)”. The Settlement officer requested the Tibetan public not to believe in posts in micro messaging sites indicating it was a communal hate crime. She said, “The posts in social media sites and micro messaging sites are baseless. The community needs to know that the man had died of an accident and not any other way. The office discourages such disturbing and provocative acts. ”
The deceased was unmarried and without immediate family members around. His last rites were performed by his employers at Tashi Jong Monastery after the postmortem formalities. Police have closed the case.
