Convicted for two years and eight months of imprisonment for rape of a married woman

Almost after nine months of wait, the Trongsa dzongkhag court announced its verdict on the rape case of a 31-year old married woman raped on the night of 23 April, this year.

The convict, 24 year old, Pema Dorji, unemployed was booked under section 179 of the Penal Code of Bhutan (2004), for raping a married woman, slapping him a prison term of two years, eight months and eight days yesterday.

The section 179 states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of rape of a married person and section 180 states that the offence shall be graded a fourth degree felony and the defendant shall be also liable to pay Gao in accordance with the other laws.

Besides the imprisonment, the convict was ordered to pay Nu 16,000 as Gao  to the victim within 10 days.

Norbu Tshering, 25 the ambulance driver of the Mangdechhu project was sentenced to three months of imprisonment. However in lieu of the imprisonment, he had paid Nu 9,000 thrimthue to the court.

He was charged under section 430 of Penal Code of Bhutan, for failing to report a crime to the lawful authority and the offence of failure to report a crime is a violation as per section 431.

Case background

Pema Dorji was detained by the Trongsa police station after he was accused of raping a 31 year old woman on the night of 23 April. The case was filed by the victim herself.

The police arrested him from the Trongsa town the same night.

On that day the victim was in town while the suspect with one of his friends had come to fuel up the vehicle since he was supposed to go to Thimphu for some official work the next day.

According to sources, both the victim and the convict were drunk and convict had given a ride to the victim in his Bolero car.

When the vehicle reached a place called Poengeor, which is about three kilometers away from the police station, the suspect had overpowered the victim and raped her.

The other friend of the suspect identified as Norbu Tshering, 25 from Pemagatshel also the driver of Mangdechhu project drove the car of the victim, following them.

There was sign of struggle and abrasion on victim’s hands and legs. The medical report concluded it was a rape.

The defendant had also confessed to the crime.

Pema Dorji is from Langthel, Trongsa while the victim a housewife and a mother of two children is from Khaling, Trashigang.

 

 Chencho Dema