Verdict: The Gelephu dungkhag court, yesterday, convicted a 24–year–old man from Mongar to five years in prison for killing a taxi driver on December 27. He was also made to pay compensation of Nu 492,000.

The incident occurred on the evening of December 27, when the deceased taxi driver went to drop the man to Pemathang from Gelephu town, which is about a 5km trip.

The verdict stated that a fight arose when the man paid only Nu 20 as taxi fare while the taxi driver asked for Nu 150.

“The deceased has first punched the defendant and in the heat of moment, the defendant struck the 54–year–old driver on the head with a stone and stabbed him,” the verdict stated.

The defendant was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The court at the same time issued directives to the OAG to inform the Road Safety and Transport Authority in Gelephu to publish a taxi fare book within four months.

When there is no such fare book in place, there is always negotiation and such cases have come up and to prevent such incidents in future the OAG should instruct the relevant office to make a fare booklet and each taxi driver of Gelephu should own one within four months, the verdict stated.

By Yeshey Dema, Gelephu

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