Police in Paro forwarded battery and libel case involving three women to the court yesterday. The three women aged in between 28 and 36 were arrested in February this year after a video clip of one of them slapping another woman twice in between argument went viral on social media.
The main suspect is charged with battery, failure to report the crime and libel. The other two suspects are charged for aiding and abetting, failure to report crime and libel.
However, the police were not able to find the person, who first shared the video on social media.
According to the Penal Code of Bhutan, the battery is a petty misdemeanour with a maximum prison term of one year. Likewise, if a person is convicted for libel that does not include murder, armed robbery, terrorism or treason, he or she will have to pay compensation to the aggrieved party.
For aiding and abetting, the defendant shall be liable to half the penalty awarded to the person who committed the crime. And failure to report crime is a violation and one is liable to pay daily minimum national wage rate up to a maximum of 90 days.
