Nim Dorji | Trongsa
Three former lecturers of the College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) in Taktse, Trongsa, were convicted to a prison term ranging from 3 months to nine months for sexual harassment.
Trongsa dzongkhag court passed the judgment online yesterday.
According to the judgment, former lecture Phub Gyeltshen is sentenced to nine months for kissing a student, asking a student to sleep with him and asking a student to marry him.
Former lecturer Pema Wangchuk is sentenced to three months in prison for kissing a girl.
Former lecturer Tobgay is sentenced to three months for caressing a girl on her thigh.
The court ordered the convicts to pay compensation of Nu 11,250 each to the victims.
All three lecturers can pay thrimthue in lieu of imprisonment.
The court ordered Royal Bhutan Police to file a separate case against former lecturer Pema Wangchuk, who was charged for defamation and publishing a book when the case was ongoing.
Meanwhile, in a civil case filed by the 10 former lecturers against the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), the court ordered RUB to pay the 10 lecturers salary from the day they were terminated on May 10, 2019, until yesterday in arrears for breach of Human Resource Rules and Regulation 2017 of the university.
The judgment stated the college did not issue a copy of the charge, did not give an opportunity to answer the charge and terminated the lecturers with the decision of the college management committee when the human resource committee should decide the termination.
It also stated there was no appellate body instituted.
The court also ordered the university to reinstate seven lecturers. “For the three lecturers who are convicted for sexual harassment, it will depend on RUB to restitute their job or retire,” the judgment stated.