Staff reporter

Thimphu dzongkhag court’s bench I sentenced the 74-year-old man, who had circulated intimate videos of him and a young woman on social media last year, to three months and four nights in prison for harassment. 

A Thimphu-based businessman, Sonam Wangdi, was found guilty of harassing a woman by circulating intimate videos to his friends through the social media platform, WeChat. 

The April 15 judgment stated that although the videos were filmed with consent from the woman, the man circulated them without her consent, causing her and her families grief and humiliation. He was found guilty of breaching section 462 of the Penal Code of Bhutan.

The videos went viral on social media in May 2020 and the woman and her family lodged a complaint to the police. Police arrested Sonam Wangdi on May 18 that year. He was released on bail on May 22.

The court ordered the man to pay Nu 22, 500 to the victim as compensation.

The judgment stated that although Sonam Wangdi also contended that he should also be compensated, as the videos caused him embarrassment in front of his family, children, nieces and nephews, the court dismissed his claims, ruling it was him, who circulated the videos.

It also stated that police retrieved the videos from Sonam Wangdi’s mobile. Meanwhile, the man could pay Nu 11,250 in lieu of the prison term.

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