Police are still clueless about the whereabouts of four people who reportedly disappeared from the ashrams of controversial ascetic Ram Bahadur Bomjan.
More than three months have passed since the families of Fulmaya Rumba, Sancha Lal Waiba, Suresh Ale Magar and Chunmo Dolma Tamang filed a police complaint against Bomjan, but investigation into the case so far has been slow and inconsequential.
Fulmaya has been missing from Bomjan’s ashram in Halkhoriya, Bara, since 2014, according to her family. Likewise, Chunmo has been missing from another ashram in Sindhuli since 2012, and Sancha Lal and Suresh since 2015.
Police say they are still in the investigation process.
“We are trying to gather evidence to determine the whereabouts of the missing persons,” Superintendent of Police Mukunda Marasini, chief of Sindhupalchok District Police Office, told the Post.
While Bomjan faces investigation for his alleged role behind the disappearances of his four followers, the authorities have not restricted him from travelling outside the country.
“We do not have any evidence against Bomjan to warrant overseas travel restriction against him,” Marasini said.
Police have also not questioned Bomjan so far.
“Without evidence, we cannot call Bomjan for interrogation. Even if we arrest him now, we will have to release him due to lack of evidence,” Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi told the Post.
While the families of the missing persons claim that the authorities are not serious about finding the whereabouts of their loved ones, government officials say that the investigation is being carried out effectively.
Addressing the Upper House on February 20, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had assured that the government was serious about the Bomjan.
Nayak Paudel covers sports for The Kathmandu Post. He previously worked at the Post (2018–19) and spent over five years at The Rising Nepal. His reporting spans crime, health, education, and social issues.
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