Thinley Namgay

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld Wamrong drungkhag court’s judgment on a battery and trespassing case.

In July of last year, the drungkhag court convicted defendant Tshering Yangki to 18 months in prison for battery and trespassing.

Tshering Yangki was ordered to pay a compensation of Nu 260,000 and medical expenses to the victim within a month from the day the judgment was passed.

After the lower court judgment, she appealed to Trashigang dzongkhag court, the High Court, and finally to the SC on August 23 of this year.

Tshering Yangki’s grounds for appeal was that the victim had also fought with her, but the video that went viral online showed only her. She also reasoned that the victim’s neck injury was related to diabetes and not because of the fight.

She also claimed that she should not have to pay compensation to the victim, as the victim is doing her usual work.

However, the SC judgment stated that regardless of the victim’s medical condition, Tshering Yangki intruded into the victim’s house and battered her, which damaged her neck, and she could not recover even after a year.

Tshering Yangki claimed that the SC should verify the legality of freelance journalist Namgay Zam’s one-sided story on social media that supported the victim.

She claimed that the post had mentally affected her and her family. “Namgay Zam should write stories by attending court hearings like Kuensel and the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Ltd, but she wrote the story by contacting the victim over the phone.”

She also questioned if Namgay Zam and the victim’s daughter could crowdfund through social media.

But the SC dismissed her claims, stating that such matters have to be dealt with by relevant ministries and departments based on their rules and regulations, and that issue is not related to the battery and trespassing case.