Nepal arrests spiritual leader of a ‘Buddha boy’ who followers say is ‘the reincarnation of the founder of Buddhism who can meditate for months without food’ over allegations of rape and ‘disappearances’ in his ashrams

A spiritual leader known as ‘Buddha Boy’, whose followers believe him to be a ‘reincarnation of the founder of Buddhism’, has been arrested by Nepali police over allegations of rape and ‘disappearances’ at his ashrams.

Ram Bahadur Bomjan had thousands of devotees and became famous as a teenager after followers claimed he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.

The 33-year-old guru still has a devout following, but has long been accused of physically and sexually abusing worshippers and has been hiding from authorities for years.

Police arrested Bomjan in Kathmandu on an arrest warrant issued over his alleged rape of a minor at an ashram in Sarlahi, a district south of the capital.

They said he was caught with bundles of cash worth 30 million Nepali rupees (£280,000) and a further £18,000 in foreign currency from 16 different countries.

Ram Bahadur Bomjan was believed to be the reincarnation of Buddha. He is pictured blessing a Buddhist monk in the city of Nijgadh, about 100 miles south of Kathmandu

Authorities never formally declared Bomjan as the reincarnation of Buddha, but people have worshiped him continuously since 2005

Bomjan’s popularity has waned, but he still has camps attended by thousands of his followers in southern Nepal

Allegations of abuse and misconduct against Bomjan stretch back more than a decade.

In 2010, dozens of complaints about abuse were filed against Bomjan. He said he hit the victims because they disturbed his meditation.

An 18-year-old nun accused the guru of raping her at a monastery in 2018.

The following year, police opened a new investigation against him after relatives reported the disappearance of four of his devotees from one of his ashrams.

The whereabouts of the four are still unknown, Dinesh Acharya of the Central Bureau of Investigation told reporters on Wednesday.

“Unless we know what situation the missing people are in, we can’t call it a murder,” he said.

Authorities never formally declared Bomjan as the reincarnation of Buddha, but people have worshiped him continuously since 2005.

Before he went on the run, Bomjan still commanded a legion of followers as accusations against him mounted.

At the age of 16, Bomjan disappeared through the wilderness of eastern Nepal for nine months before reappearing

At the age of 16, Bomjan disappeared for nine months to wander the wilderness of eastern Nepal

His popularity has since waned, but he still maintains camps attended by thousands of his followers in southern Nepal.

At one point, tens of thousands of people gathered to witness his alleged miracles of meditation deep in the jungle.

At the age of 16, Bomjan disappeared for nine months to wander the wilderness of eastern Nepal, prompting a 24-hour vigil by Buddhist monks praying for his safe return.

Allegations of abuse and misconduct against Bomjan stretch back more than a decade

Members of the Central Investigation Bureau team escort Ram Bahadur Bomjan after his arrest

When he emerged from the jungle, thousands of devotees from all over India came to see him and hear him speak.

Buddhist priests remained divided over whether Bomjan was the reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in southwestern Nepal around 500 BC and later revered as the Buddha, meaning Enlightened One.

Buddhism is practiced by some 500 million people worldwide and is considered the fourth largest religious tradition in the world after Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.