The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on January 1 charged a 26-year-old man for allegedly raping two minors.

The man, who works as a driver with Chundu Pvt Limited, was charged with statutory rape and rape of a child above the age of 12 years.

The accused, Dorji Wangchuk is from Pangnang in Drujeygang, Dagana.

The case came to limelight after 11-year-old student, who went to Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital on 4, December, last year for an ear check-up went missing for four days. The girl’s mother took her to the police station and questioned her, who than informed police that the driver raped her twice inside his tripper truck, once at Olokha and once at Kuenselphodrang.

The girl told police that on December 2, instead of dropping her to her sister’s place at Changzamtok, Dorji Wangchuk instead took her towards Damchen petrol pump at Olokha and made her spend a night inside his truck and attempted to rape her. The next day, the accused bought her a jacket, pant and a pair of boot from Sabjee market and took her towards Kuenselphodrang where he again tried to rape her.

Dorji Wangchuk denied that he raped the minor. The girl was 11 years and eleven months old at the time of incident.

Citing the RBP Samtse Case No. 05/2016 as a case in reference where Asur Nur Ali used a nine-year-old boy’s thigh to ejaculate, the current case was of the same nature, said Office of Attorney General.

It also stated that as per the law, in the case of statutory rape with a child below the age of 12 and disabled, proof with penetration is not necessary.

The police detained Dorji Wangchuk on December 5. He was apprehended at Langjophakha while with another minor, who claimed to be his girlfriend. The girl confirmed that she had sexual relation with the man.

He was charged with rape of a child above 12-years. According to section 183 of the amended PCB, the offence is a second-degree felony.

Tashi Tenzin