Nepal police announced on Wednesday the arrest of Ram Bahadur Bomjan, popularly known as the “Buddha Boy,” a spiritual leader believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha. Bomjan gained fame as a teenager due to claims that he could engage in months-long motionless meditation without sustenance. However, the 33-year-old guru has faced longstanding accusations of physical and sexual assaults against his devotees, prompting him to evade authorities for several years. He was apprehended in Kathmandu based on a warrant for alleged rape of a minor at one of his ashrams in Sarlahi, with police discovering substantial amounts of cash in Nepali rupees and foreign currency during his arrest.
Bomjan’s history is marked by numerous allegations of abuse dating back over a decade, including assault complaints filed in 2010 when he claimed to have beaten followers disturbing his meditation. In 2018, an 18-year-old nun accused him of rape at a monastery. In the following year, a police investigation was launched after four of his devotees went missing from an ashram, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Despite the mounting allegations, Bomjan maintained a considerable following, attracting tens of thousands during public displays of meditation miracles in the jungle. Before going into hiding, he vanished for nine months at the age of 16, prompting a continuous vigil by Buddhist monks who prayed for his safe return.
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