Chencho Dema| Punakha

A 19-year-old monk is in Punakha police custody for allegedly raping a 12-year-old minor student girl.

The incident occurred in a hotel in Khuruthang, Punakha on July 23.

Both claimed that the deed was consensual. However, the monk was detained for raping a child under the age of 12.

According to sources, the girl travelled to Bajothang, Wangdue with a few of her friends, and after their return to Khuruthang, the girl met her boyfriend, the monk.

Before they were discovered by the police, they had reserved a room at one of the hotels in Khuruthang.

It is said that the parents reported the girl missing to the police after she failed to return home and didn’t return their calls.

Meanwhile, Punakha police refused to comment on the case.