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Victim denies allegations of financial motive, speaks about life after paralysis
In the case of 23-year-old Lhamo, who was severely injured and left partially paralysed following an incident involving 55-year-old Leki Dorji, the victim’s family has decided to pursue legal action under the Civil Liability Act of Bhutan 2023.
In an earlier judgment, the Thimphu Dzongkhag Court, Family Bench, sentenced Leki Dorji to 2 years, 11 months, and 29 days in prison after finding him guilty of domestic violence.
However, according to the court’s verdict, he was given the option to pay Nu 131,500 in lieu of serving the custodial sentence.
During the altercation, the victim alleged that Leki Dorji pulled her leg, causing her to fall in a manner where her head bent under her body. Leki said she had tried to kick him and that he caught her leg.
The victim and her family have not accepted the compensation, stating that the sentence does not reflect the severity of her condition and the impact on her life.
The family has now decided to pursue the matter under the Civil Liability Act of Bhutan 2023.
The victim’s brother said the family is not seeking additional demands, but only justice under the provisions of the Civil Liability Act.
He said the case is not a simple couple’s dispute, but one that has resulted in a life-altering injury, leaving the victim with a severely changed and uncertain future.
Victim rejects allegations regarding financial benefit
As public discussion around the case of Lhamo and Leki Dorji continues, some members of the public have been calculating the age gap between the victim and the accused, with some alleging that Lhamo stayed in a relationship with Leki Dorji for financial gain.
However, Lhamo has disputed these claims, stating that Leki Dorji was unemployed and that she was the one who provided him with work opportunities.
She said that, as a tourist guide, she would engage him as a driver whenever there were tour assignments. “I was the one giving him work to drive tourists when there were tours,” she stated. She further added that she often had to provide him with money for fuel in order for him to carry out the work.
According to Lhamo, the money she later asked to be returned from Leki Dorji was limited to fuel expenses she had initially covered, and only after he had received payment for completing the work.
Lhamo stated that Leki Dorji had claimed in court that he had paid for her household expenditures, which she described as incorrect. She said, “I made him pay my rent once when I was jobless and was doing my guide course.” She further stated that Leki Dorji had told her he did not have money and had sold one of his belongings for Nu 20,000. “He cannot even pay that, yet he claims to have paid for my expenditures,” she added.
Lhamo said that, as a tourist guide, her income was not sufficient and that she was living hand to mouth. However, she alleged that the accused would pressure her to ask for money from her siblings, at times leaving his gold ring as collateral.
“I even told my elder sibling, saying a friend of mine needed to borrow some money,” Lhamo said.
According to Lhamo, Leki Dorji had also borrowed money from his own family members, which he had to repay with interest. She alleged that this financial pressure was one of the reasons he compelled her to borrow money from her siblings on his behalf.
According to Lhamo, the accused also continued calling her after she returned from Kolkata Hospital, despite her elder sister having advised him not to contact her.
Lhamo also recalled an incident in which Leki Dorji had transferred Nu 10,000 to her account, which he later presented in court. “I transferred the money back to him; I did not even keep it for a minute. He used the screenshot in court to make it appear as though he had given me money,” she said.
Lhamo said that after her severe injury, the accused would frequently recharge her mobile phone. She said that there was Wi-Fi at her home; however, he would continue recharging her even during her hospital stay.
“I think he was collecting evidence. I told him not to. Even the recharges he did while I was in hospital were expiring,” Lhamo said.
Lhamo mentioned that when they were in a relationship, they had shared each other’s passwords. She alleged that Leki Dorji later accessed her Facebook account and sent messages which she claimed she did not write, and that these were then presented in court as evidence through Messenger screenshots.
Lhamo said she changed her password only after receiving a notification that her account had been logged into from another device.
Lhamo also claimed that while she was admitted at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), the accused accessed her phone and transferred Nu 6,000, stating that he had no money.
“He would drink beer and ask me to clear his debts from the tips I received,” she said.
Impact of the incident on Lhamo’s life
Lhamo shared that before the incident and before meeting Leki Dorji, she was leading a normal life. However, she said that following the incident and the experiences she went through in the relationship, she is now undergoing counselling as she is suffering from depression.
She added that she continues to struggle with the trauma from the relationship and the condition she has been left in as a result of the incident involving Leki Dorji.
As reported earlier in this paper, Leki Dorji had allegedly threatened and abused Lhamo on previous occasions, including an incident where she claimed he threatened her with a knife when she attempted to leave the country.
Lhamo said that even when she was working, her earnings were limited. Now, following her spinal injury, which has left her paralysed, she said she has to attend physiotherapy sessions daily by taxi.
“If I stop physiotherapy, my condition will get worse. We have to pay rent every month without any income. I also have to use diapers because I cannot walk, and they cost Nu 650 per package,” she said.
She added that all these expenses are currently being borne by her family, despite having no source of income.
When asked about her future plans had the incident not occurred, Lhamo broke down and said she was unable to speak about the dreams she once had, which she described as now shattered following her paralysis.
“I am so sorry. I was once a girl with many dreams and always tried to be a better version of myself. Talking about my dreams, wishes, and hopes now makes me feel more depressed because they all shattered like nothing,” she said.
She further added, “These days, my condition is not stable, so I am forcing myself to separate from the past and the future, focusing on the present.”
Lhamo said she would speak in detail about her aspirations once she feels better.
Lhamo’s brother told this paper that instead of appealing to the High Court, the family has decided to pursue the matter under the Civil Liability Act.
“I hope this law gives us justice. I am not demanding anything specific, but I want justice for my sister and for the acts committed. This will be dealt with under the provisions of this law,” he said.
He said that the earlier sentencing of Leki Dorji is not sufficient for what he described as a life that cannot be reversed. He added that his sister is now unable to walk as she did before the incident.
He further said that beyond the present suffering, the family is also deeply concerned about Lhamo’s future.
With her mobility affected and her ability to work significantly reduced, he said her long-term care, medical needs, and financial dependency will continue to be a major challenge for years to come.
Lhamo’s life has been abruptly reshaped by paralysis, bringing immense physical challenges, emotional distress, and financial strain for both her and her family.
According to medical reports from the JDWNRH, Lhamo sustained a cervicothoracic spinal fracture dislocation resulting in complete paraplegia, leaving her permanently wheelchair-bound with loss of movement in both lower limbs and loss of bladder and bowel control.
The offence carries a sentencing range of one to three years’ imprisonment under domestic violence provisions.
The paper gave Leki Dorji his say, but he made a statement and then withdrew it again.
