Police raid Bamjan’s ‘ashram’ in Badegaun

Kavre, January 4

Police raided an ‘ashram’ of self-styled ‘Buddha Boy’ Ram Bahadur Bamjan at Badegaun, Sindhupalchowk, today.

A joint team of Central Bureau of Investigation and Sindhupalchowk police raided Bamjan’s ‘ashram’ after they got permission from Sindhupalchowk district court.

CIB launched an investigation after four persons, including three nuns, were reportedly disappeared and one follower murdered at different ‘ashrams’ of Bamjan.

According to Superintendent of Police Mukund Marasini, the joint team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Bimalraj Kandel had raided the ‘ashram. “The ashram will be under the police control until the investigation concludes,” said DSP Kandel.

There are very few followers of Bamjan at the Bandegaun ‘ashram’. Bamjan was in the ‘ashram’ ten months ago, but he is staying at an ‘ashram’ in Sindhuli at present.

Deputy Inspector General Niraj Bahadur Shahi, CIB director, confirmed that it had assisted district police office, Sindhupalchowk, to conduct raid on Bamjan’s ‘ashram’.

“It will be too early to speak more about it. The concerned district police will proceed with the case,” he said. DIG Shahi declined to say if any criminal evidence was found during the raid.

Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, Nepal Police spokesperson, informed that an investigation into the alleged involvement of Bamjan in disappearing ‘nuns and monks’ was launched from Sindhupalchowk. Bamjan’s ashrams in Sindhupalchowk, Nawalparasi and Bara are under police surveillance round-the-clock.

On December 28, kin of three persons, who were allegedly disappeared by Bamjan, had demanded that the government conduct a thorough investigation to find their whereabouts.

Organising a press conference in Kathmandu, the grieving families alleged that Bamjan was a ‘paedophile and murderer’ and asserted that their dear ones were disappeared by the so-called godman from his ‘ashrams’ in Bara and Sindhupalchowk.

Those allegedly disappeared by Bamjan and his associates include Dolmo of Makawanpur, Chunmo of Nuwakot and Sanchalal Waiba of Makwanpur.

Prem Dorje Lama, general secretary of Ahinsabadi Dharma Chakra Sangh, a Buddhist organisation, had also demanded an investigation to establish the truth and urged the government to raid Bamjan’s ‘ashrams’ to dismantle the ‘criminal ring’.