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The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), on 3rd July 2026, filed a charge sheet before the Thimphu District Court against 10 minors in connection with a series of violent bullying cases involving students of Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School (MSS), following the circulation of videos showing the incidents on social media.
According to police sources, the investigation identified seven minors as individuals directly involved in the alleged physical altercations, including those identified as alleged victims, suspects, and suspect-victims. The remaining three individuals were identified as persons present during the incidents, including those who allegedly recorded the videos.
Police stated that probable charges have been filed under the Penal Code of Bhutan (PCB), including battery, accomplice liability, and failure to report a crime.
Based on the police investigation, four minors are facing battery charges. These include two senior students involved in the initial incident on 8 June 2026, and two senior students involved in subsequent viral incidents on 9 June 2026, which were recorded and later circulated online.
Police sources stated that the first incident occurred on 8th June 2026, when two senior students allegedly assaulted another student. Following the incident, the initial victim allegedly approached a senior student for assistance.
On 9 June 2026, the initial victim, accompanied by two other senior students, allegedly became involved in an altercation with one of the students identified as a suspect in the earlier incident. As a result of the subsequent incident, the initial or first victim of the 8 June case who asked for help from the two seniors has also been identified as a suspect-victim and is facing a charge under accomplice liability.
The student involved in the initial 8 June incident, as an attacker, and who was assaulted during the 9 June altercation has been identified as a suspect-victim in the case.
Police further stated that during the same incident on 9 June, the two senior students assaulted two additional students following allegations that they had been spreading rumors about them. The two students who were assaulted have been charged under the provision relating to failure to report a crime for not reporting the alleged offence to the authorities.
The three individuals identified as bystanders, including those who allegedly recorded the incidents, have also been charged under the same provision for failure to report a crime.
Police stated that one of the students identified as a suspect in the 8 June 2026 incident was absent from school on 9 June 2026 and returned on 10 June 2026. The student was allegedly assaulted upon returning and has consequently been identified as another suspect-victim in the investigation.
According to police sources, the incidents were linked to allegations of backbiting among students, which allegedly escalated into retaliatory acts on 9 June 2026 and 10th June 2026.
The incidents that occurred on 9 June 2026 and 10th June 2026 were recorded and circulated on social media platforms. Police confirmed that the videos gained wider attention from 15th June 2026 onwards. However, the matter had already been reported to police before the videos became widely circulated.
Section 158 of the PCB states that a person is guilty of battery if the person intentionally uses physical force of an adverse nature against another person. The offence is classified as either a petty misdemeanor or a misdemeanor depending on whether aggravating circumstances are present.
Police stated that medical reports indicated that the injuries sustained in the incidents were non-grievous.
Some individuals have also been charged under Section 64 of the PCB on accomplice liability. The provision states that a person is considered an accomplice if the person intentionally or knowingly engages in conduct that assists another person in committing an offence. The provision provides for a reduced sentence compared to the person who directly committed the offence, depending on the classification of the offence.
Further, Section 430 of the PCB provides that a person commits the offence of failure to report a crime if the person witnesses another person committing a crime but fails to report it to the lawful authority. The offence is classified as a violation.
Under normal procedures, criminal cases are forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) after police complete their investigation. However, in this case, police filed the charge sheet directly before the Thimphu District Court after determining the nature of the alleged offences and considering that all individuals involved were minors.
The case will now proceed through the judicial process, where the court will determine the legal responsibility of the individuals charged.
