Ram Bahadur Bomjan, who in 2005 earned the media moniker “Buddha boy” for allegedly meditating for months without food, water or sleep, has been accused in the disappearance of four of his followers.        

The families of Fulmaya Rumba and Sancha Lal Waiba of Makwanpur, Suresh Ale Magar of Bara, and Chunmo Dolma Tamang of Nuwakot have filed separate police complaints against the controversial ascetic, claiming that their relatives have been out of contact from Bomjan’s ashrams in Bara and Sindhuli district for years.  

The case was brought to the public attention after Setopati published a series of reports on Bomjan in which multiple people have accused him of sexually exploiting nuns in his ashrams and using violence to intimidate those who speak against him. 

Fulmaya had left her home in Makwanpur to become a nun at Bomjan’s ashram in Halkhoriya in Bara in 2011. Her family said they have not heard from her since 2014. 

Sancha Lal, also from Makwanpur, has been missing from the Sindhuli ashram since 2015, his family said.

Chunmo Dolma is said to be missing from the Sindhuli ashram since 2012.

On Thursday, Setopati reported that Magar’s father had also filed a report saying his son has been missing for the last three years. 

Makwanpur police said they have initiated the investigation to find the whereabouts of Fulmaya and Sanchalal based on the complaints filed by their families. 

“Our team is gathering details from the families of Fulmaya and Sanchalal. We will also launch an investigation into the ashram,” said SP Buddhi Bahadur Gurung. 

Nuwakot police said it has also opened an investigation into the disappearance of Chunmo Dolma.

Bomjan is not new to controversy. His former female acolytes and their families have accused him of sexual exploitation and inflicting grave bodily harm on his followers.  

Since these incidents took place inside ashram premises, many of the incidents have not been reported to police. Bomjan, according to his former disciples, with his power, influence and close aides used threats and intimidations to silence them.    

Earlier in 2012, some followers of Bomjan were accused of holding two women hostage, one of them a Slovak national, for three months.