The Phuentshogling Dungkhag Court has convicted nine men in a rape case involving a 13-year-old girl. The court passed its judgement on the case on Tuesday.
Of the nine, seven are drivers and one a non-Bhutanese.
The court has sentenced two drivers, aged 30 and 32, to nine years in prison for raping the girl. They also have to pay a compensation of Nu 45,000 each to the victim.
Another driver, aged 34, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to rape the girl.
Two other drivers, aged 21 and 28, were punished with a prison sentence of three years for child molestation.
The 50-year-old non-Bhutanese convict was sentenced to 11 months in prison for sexual harassment.
A 47-year-old man was handed a two-month prison term for failing to assist lawful authority.
The last two convicts are drivers, both aged 34. The court has ordered them to pay a fine amount equivalent to a month’s national wage rate for failing to report the crime to lawful authority.
The case was initially registered as a missing person case.
The father of the 13-year-old girl reported to Phuentshogling Police after his daughter didn’t return from school and went missing for three days.
Upon investigation, police found the girl was taken by some of the convicts to Wangdue Phodrang and brought back.
The victim was found from a hotel in Phuentshogling a week after she went missing.
The incident took place in October last year.
