Police on Wednesday seized more than Rs30 million from controversial ‘spiritual leader Ram Bahadur Bomjan’s residence.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Acharya, Nepali currency worth Rs30.3 million and Rs3.092 million in foreign currency of 16 different nations was seized during a search at Bomjan’s Budhanilkantha-based residence.

The 34-year-old, whose real name was revealed to be Ram Lal Bomjan, was arrested from his residence by a team of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police at around 7:15pm on Tuesday. He had jumped from the fourth floor of his house in an attempt to escape from the authorities, police said.

Issuing a press release on Wednesday, police stated that a key to an SUV, billbooks of three two-wheelers, and multiple electronic devices—laptops, pen drives, iPads, and tablets, mobile phones—were also seized during the search.

The accused was made public during a press meet at the CIB Office, Maharajgunj. Preparations are underway to take Bomjan to Sarlahi District Court for further hearing.

Police had been 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 chargesheet 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 disappearance 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.

This story has been updated to add additional information.