A Nepalese court on Monday sentenced a guru believed by his disciples to be the reincarnation of Buddha to 10 years in prison for child molestation.
Nicknamed “Little Buddha” or “Buddha Boy”, Ram Bahadur Bomjan gained fame as a young man when his disciples attributed his ability to meditate for months without moving, without water, food or sleep.
Last week, a court in the southern city of Sarlahi found him guilty of child molestation. “He was sentenced to 10 years in prison,” court registrar Sadan Adhikari told AFP on Monday.
Ram Bahadur Bomjan was also fined 500,000 Nepalese Rupees (3,489 Euros).
The 33-year-old guru is supported by a devoted following. He has long been accused of physically and sexually abusing worshipers. He had been on the run from the authorities for years. He was arrested in January near the capital Kathmandu.
Dozens of complaints against him
According to the police, 30 million Nepalese rupees (over 200,000 euros) in cash and foreign currency were found when he was arrested.
Dozens of violence complaints were registered against him in 2010. He explained that he beat the victims because they disturbed his meditation.
An 18-year-old nun in 2018 accused her of raping the convent.
The following year, police launched another investigation after families reported the disappearance of four of his disciples. The investigation has yielded nothing till date.
Before going into hiding, Ram Bahadur led tens of thousands of people to his so-called Miraculous Meditation in the Bomjan forest.
At the age of 16, he disappeared for nine months in a forest area in eastern Nepal. Buddhist monks prayed round the clock for his safe return.
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