The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has filed a case in the Thimphu dzongkhag court against a 34-year-old man from Dorokha, Samtse for the alleged rape of a married woman earlier this month.

The woman, who works in a hotel, was returning home from work around 11:30pm on March 11 when the man offered her a lift.

OAG charges stated that the woman was waiting in town for her husband when the man, a stranger offered her a lift after he heard her husband telling her over the phone that he couldn’t pick her up since their car broke down.

“When the woman said she did not want a lift and walked away, the man followed her in a Santro car and insisted that he dropped her,” it stated. “Since the woman did not have any money to pay the taxi fare, she took the lift.”

The man, who works as a driver in a bakery, first went to the Chubachu fuel depot but since it was closed, he said they would go to other fuel depots to refuel his car.

OAG charges stated that when the woman said she would walk home, he assured her that he would drop her home. “He then took her to Olakha fuel depot to refuel the car but since it was also closed, he took her towards the RTC route.”

When the woman took out her phone to call and shouted for help, the man said he had a weapon and he would cut off her hands and legs.

It was stated that the man then stopped the car and when the woman tried to flee, he held her and looked for a weapon in the car’s dashboard. “He then raped her.”

The man then brought her until Olakha and sent her home in a taxi paying Nu 250 as fare.

Although the woman shared about the incident to her husband, he accused her of having an affair with the man and the woman even cut her wrist.

The woman shared about the incident to her sister, who reported the alleged crime to police on March 12.

OAG charges stated that although police went to investigate the crime in the area, they could not nab the culprit since there was no clear address.

“Police nabbed him only on April 2.”

It was stated that the man confessed committing the crime to police.

The offence of the rape of a married woman is graded a fourth-degree felony with prison term ranging from three years to five years.

OAG also submitted before the court to order the man to compensate the victim. “Since the woman is married, the man should also pay Nu 11,250 as alimony to the husband as per the Marriage (Amendment) Act of Bhutan 2009.”

Tashi Dema