A team of the Central Investigation Bureau on Tuesday arrested Ram Bahadur Bomjan, a controversial ‘spiritual leader’. An official at the bureau said Bomjan was arrested from a house in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu.

Police were searching for him for the past few years for different charges including sexual exploitation of his disciples.

In July 2020, a case of sexual exploitation was filed against Bomjan in the District Court in Sarlahi. The chargesheet accuses Bomjan of raping a 15-year-old girl who was staying in his ashram in Pattharkot, Sarlahi, as an Aani (Nun). The case stated that he raped the minor by luring her to his private quarters at 9:20pm on August 4, 2016. He has further been charged with threatening the girl with consequences if she relayed the incident to others.

Bomjan was also wanted by the authorities for the disappearances of four of his disciples.

In June 2020, a joint team from the Central Investigation Bureau, the Bagmati Provincial Police and the district police offices in Kavre, Sindhupalchok and Sarlahi raided his ashram in Pairey Sindhuli, but could not locate him.

He had shot to fame in 2005 for allegedly meditating for months without food, water or sleep. He had been dubbed the ‘Buddha Boy’ by the media. After emerging from his meditation, he and his followers had set up ashrams in Bara, Sarlahi, Sindhupalchok and Sindhuli districts.