'Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault of a Minor: The Revered "Buddha Boy," Reincarnation of Seokgamoni'

A man in Nepal, known as the reincarnation of Buddha, was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a minor.

On the 10th (local time), CNN reported that Ram Bahadur Bomjan (34), known as the 'Buddha Boy,' was arrested by police the previous afternoon on charges of sexually abusing a minor. Authorities stated, "Bomjan was caught while attempting to flee the outskirts of Kathmandu."

Local police announced in a statement that Bomjan sexually exploited a minor nun at his ashram (a place where monks live and practice) located in the Bara area south of Kathmandu in 2020. Police also seized more than a dozen mobile phones, five laptops, tablets, and Nepalese and foreign currency worth approximately $200,000 (about 263 million KRW) from his residence.

Spring Jan, nicknamed the Buddha Boy [Photo source=YouTube 'Best Documentary' screenshot]

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Earlier, a Nepalese nun accused Bomjan of raping her at one of his ashrams (secluded retreat centers) in 2018 when she was a minor. At that time, Bomjan’s side held a press conference and completely denied the allegations, calling them "entirely fabricated."

Bomjan gained fame after reportedly entering the jungle at age 15 in 2005 and practicing asceticism for 10 months. Some followers claimed that Bomjan neither slept nor ate during this period.

These claims have not been verified. However, some followers revered him as the 'reincarnation of Sakyamuni,' and from then on, he earned the nickname 'Buddha Boy,' CNN reported.

Lamb Bahadur Bomjan (34) appeared handcuffed during a press conference at the Central Investigation Bureau in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the 10th (local time).
[Photo by AP/ Yonhap News]

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Bomjan is also suspected of involvement in the disappearance of four of his devotees in 2019. Police raided Bomjan’s ashram to investigate this case. Authorities stated, "We are conducting additional investigations and searches related to the missing devotees from Bomjan’s ashram on multiple occasions."

Administrators of the organization managing Bomjan’s ashram denied the allegations, stating, "The rape charges against Bomjan are completely fabricated stories."

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