Over Rs 30 million recovered from Ram Bahadur Bamjan’s residence

Published On: January 10, 2024 11:30 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 10: More than Rs 30 million was recovered from the house of 'Tapaswi' Ram Bahadur Bamjan, who was arrested in Kathmandu on Tuesday on charges of murder, kidnapping and sexual violence.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has said that a sum of Rs 33.75 million in cash has been recovered from the residence of Ram Bahadur Bamjan in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu.

According to CIB chief Additional Inspector General (AIG) Kiran Bajracharya, after Bamjan was arrested on Tuesday evening, the money was found during a search of his house. AIG Bajracharya added, “Along with the cash, laptops, 15 mobiles and 35 pen drives along with the currencies of 16 countries were also discovered.”

AIG Bajracharya said preparations are being made to take time for investigation from the District Court today.

Ascetic Bamjan, popularly known as Little Buddha, was arrested from Hattigauda on Tuesday evening. Bamjan had been on the CIB's wanted list for four years. The police started searching for Bamjan in the case of murder, rape and disappearance of his disciples. In the eyes of the police, he has been on the run since 2020.

An arrest warrant was issued against Bamjan by the District Court, Sarlahi for the crime of sexual abuse on February 2, 2020. According to the investigation process, after the arrest warrant was issued, it was the job of the police to arrest him and take his statement, but that was not possible after he absconded. "Now the process of taking a statement from him will start," said one of the officials.

On February 6, 2021, a team from the District Police Office, Sindhuli, attempted to arrest him from his ashram after he was accused of sexually abusing his followers. Ascetic Bamjan, who hails from Nijgadh Municipality-12 of Bara District, was not found when the police team reached the Ashram in Sindhuli to arrest him as per the order of the Sarlahi District Court.

The police had been searching for four years after Bamjan was accused of the disappearance of Sanchalal Waiba, Phul Maya Rumba, Karma Waiba and other followers from ashrams in different districts and sexually assaulting girls inside the ashram. During that time, the CIB team reached Bamjan’s ashram in Sindhupalchowk and discovered a packet of salt in a pit while searching for the body of a person suspected to have been killed and buried.