The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is reviewing the case of the College of Language and Cultural Studies (CLCS) in Taktse, Trongsa, after Trongsa police and a special investigation team police sent from the headquarters forwarded their investigation report.

According to the report, only four of the nine lecturers and a supporting staff the college compulsorily retired earlier this year were charged for criminal attempt to custodial rape, attempt to rape, official misconduct, sexual harassment or battery.

Police framed similar charges against two lecturers, who are still serving in the college.

Police charged a 30-year-old lecturer from Paro for criminal attempt to custodial rape, official misconduct, battery, sexual harassment and harassment.

He joined the college in February 2016.

He was charged for two counts of criminal attempt of custodial rape, as it is alleged that the lecturer invited one of the female students as his personal guest during his class picnic to Gangtey Goenpa in Wangduephodrang. She travelled in his private car to and from the picnic spot and also had marks on her neck. Police also found messages where he claimed he loved her when they reached Pelela.

The student also alleged that the lecturer tried to emotionally blackmail her by telling her his stories and took her to his house where he tried to rape her.

He was also charged for sexual harassment, as 14 female students testified that he pinched under their armpits and touched them inappropriately.

He was also charged for battery as 41 students gave written statements that the lecturer pinched them under armpit in class as a punishment.

The lecturer was also charged for harassment, as a student claimed that he forced her to drink during a picnic. Other students also testified against the claim.

He was also charged for official misconduct, as students gave written statements mentioning the lecturer forced them to go for picnic and deducting marks if they didn’t. “However, after taking students to a picnic, he forced them to drink alcohol and sexually harassed a girl.”

He was also alleged of taking students to his residence and attempting sexual assaults.

Police charged a 32-year-old assistant lecturer from Wangduephodrang for criminal attempt to rape, official misconduct, sexual harassment or harassment.

He joined the college in January 2019.

The former monk was charged for criminal attempt to rape, as he and a colleague went to the female student’s house and tried to rape her. She was a day scholar then.

He was also charged for two counts of sexual harassment, as he tried to pull a girl to a dark place after a dance session during a picnic in Bumthang and asking another female student to sleep with him after visiting her house.

The assistant lecturer was charged for harassment, as he forced students to drink during another picnic in Kuengarabten. When the students went to sleep, he got offended and entered the place where the girls were and tried to touch the girls inappropriately. He was also alleged of throwing bottles at the boys when they tried to intervene.

He was charged for official misconduct as he was alleged of asking a female student to marry him, promising he would open a shop for her.

A 32-year-old assistant lecturer from Chukha was charged for official misconduct and sexual harassment.

The former monk, who joined the college in January 2016, was charged for touching two girls inappropriately when they were watching a football match.

He was charged for official misconduct as he has relationship with a student.

It was stated that the girl came forward to give voluntary statement of her relationship with the assistant lecturer and claimed it was consensual.

An assistant lecturer from Sarpang was charged for official misconduct and sexual harassment, as he married a student in 2016.

The report stated that although they married after she graduated, it was learnt that they were in relationship when she was a student.

A 34-year-old lecturer from Zhemgang was also charged for official misconduct and sexual harassment.

He married a student, who joined the college when he was doing his masters in India. They claimed they informed the college management about their marital relationship before he joined college after completing his masters.

Police also charged a 56-year-old assistant professor from Trashiyangtse for official misconduct and sexual harassment.

The former monk, who joined Semtokha Rigzhung College in 1986, was charged for repeatedly sending text messages to a female student, recharging her mobile data and giving her money.

Police found many text messages he had sent to the student.

Meanwhile, the two lecturers who were detained by police during the investigation are on bail.

Tshering Palden and Tashi Dema