‘Buddhist guru’ arrested on rape charges

Kathmandu, November 23

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested a ‘Buddhist spiritual guru’ for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting some of his women followers.

DIG Pushkar Karki, CIB director, said, “His Holiness Tulku Guru Remborchhe Chhulthim Dorje Yontan (Yonjan) aka Tulku Lama, 56, used to molest and rape his followers, saying his divine power could cure all kinds of illnesses.”

Acting on complaints lodged by the victims, CIB raided Pema Tashi Chyuling Ghombo Kasung, a monastery in Chalnakhel, Dakshinkali Municipality-10, and arrested him with some suspicious substances yesterday.

“The so-called guru has been charged with rape and Kathmandu District Court has remanded him to five-day judicial custody for further investigation,” he said.

Lama, who originally hails from Kuesheshwor Dumja-9 of Sindhuli, had been heading the monastery for the past 10 years. “The monastery houses several women and his followers came to him with various problems in the hope that ‘his divine power’ could give them a respite. He used to cash in on their gullibility and take them to his private room for molestation,” DIG Karki said.

Lama made the women undress assuring to heal them with his ‘divine power’ before raping them under threat. “He warned the victims against telling anyone about his act,” DIG Karki informed. He called himself an incarnation of 33 koti devata (33 crore gods) and warned his followers that any harm done to him would bring bad omen to them.

“In some instances, Lama threatened the victims with dire consequence and even death. He also barred some of his followers from marrying, warning that if they married they would die,” DIG Karki said.

He informed that many other women were also filing complaints against him at CIB. Lama had even posted objectionable photographs of him and the women on the Facebook page of the monastery.