Neten Dorji | Wamrong

Thrimshing police yesterday submitted to the Wamrong court to summon “social media influencer,”  Namgay Zam, to court for questioning her on the Facebook post she wrote on July 5, where she alleged police of fabricating facts.

The submission was made verbally during the opening statement of the Wamrong battery case involving the drangpon’s wife and the cleaner’s wife held yesterday.

“We would like to request the court to summon Namgay Zam before the court for justification,” Thrimshing police representing Wamrong police, to avoid conflict of interest,  submitted. The representative also submitted that the post is contemptuous. The defendants, the drangpon’s wife, and the cleaner’s wife Sonam Peldon and son submitted their response against the charges the police filed.

The drangpon’s wife, Tshering Yangki accepted she had gone to Sonam Peldon’s house. She said she went with good intention to talk with them after their son was allegedly acting differently to her. “After her son came with a screwdriver and they came charging towards me, the exchanges happened,” she submitted.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge of battery.  “There should be evidence to show, whether I have used stone or sticks to beat the defendants. Though police registered the case to court, the video went viral on social media. It is to defame my husband and me,” she submitted.

The legal representative of Sonam Peldon and her son, submitted that the court must invoke section 187.3 of the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code of Bhutan and charge Tshering Yangki for harassment under section 462 of the Code.

The lawyer also submitted that the prosecuters has not charged the individuals for failure to report the crime.

She requested the court to order Tshering Yangki to pay Sonam Peldon appropriate compensation and damages for the injuries sustained and expenses incurred during her treatment.

“As the case is based on a short video clip, there is no evidence that the son has used slang words. The statement given by two people is also fabricated statement and they are relatives of drangpon’s wife. The prosecution has to charge them for false statement,” she submitted.

The lawyer also submitted that defendant Tshering Yangki has threatened the cleaner’s wife and caused her reasonable fear or mental distress.

Meanwhile, the court ordered that as the case is under trial, any report on probability of the outcome or anything that is pre-judgmental shall be contemptuous of the rule of the law and shall be held liable for contempt of the court.

The court also reminded the media, including social media, that they have the responsibility not only to inform the general public fairly, objectively, accurately and without malice but also to educate the people on the procedure and substantive laws of the country.

The rebuttal hearing will be held tomorrow.

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