Tsirang dzongkhag court ordered the principal of Damphu Central School, Dawa Tshering, to pay nine months salary to the school’s cook, Harka Bahadur Subba, who went missing in Bangkok last year.

The court also ordered that the cook should be reinstated.

According to the court judgment of January 10, Harka Bahadur had sought medical leave from the school from February 8 to April 13, 2017, but he was not paid.

The judgment stated that according to Royal Civil Serve Rules and Regulations 2018, Harka Bahadur is eligible to get 50 percent of his salary if he is fighting a case. “So far he had not received salary and the verdict orders that he should be paid the salary between May and December 2017.”

Harka Bahadur’s brother, Bal Bahadur Subba, who filed the case alleging that the principal terminated his brother from work despite the dzongkhag education officer (DEO) issuing a letter stating him to continue working after returning from Bangkok.

The court dismissed the allegation that Harka Bahadur was taken to Bangkok as ‘agriculture teacher’ instead of a cook.

The judgment stated that record maintained by the human resource officer showed that he was nominated as a cook. “Moreover, while processing for VISA and passport, he was also mentioned as cook.”

The court decided not to investigate the principal’s allegation on Harka Bahadur possessing Thai Baht when he went missing for nine days.

The judgment stated that the allegation was not related to the case.

On January 23 last year, six teachers and two cooks of Damphu Central School went to Thailand on a study tour, where the cook Harka Bahadur went missing the next morning. He was found after nine days with bruises on his body.

Nirmala Pokhrel | Tsirang

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