Bamjan found guilty of child sexual abuse

Bamjan is currently in Mahottari Jail, Jaleshwar, after the bench of Sarlahi Court Judge Bishnu Prasad Regmi ordered his remand for trial on December 26. Jit Bahadur Tamang and Gyan Bahadur Bamjan, accused in the same case, have been acquitted. The victim reported to the police that Bamjan raped her while she was in the ashram in 2073.

On January 23, 2076, the family of the victim girl filed a complaint against Bamjan at the District Police Office Malangwa. The District Public Prosecutor's Office has demanded a prison sentence of 12 to 14 years against the accused Bamjan and compensation to the victim's family.

The Sarlahi Court issued an arrest warrant against Bamjan on 21 June 2077. He was absconding for a long time and was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) from Budhanilkanth on December 24. Bamjan, who calls himself 'Little Buddha', is accused of murdering, disappearing and sexually assaulting followers living in the ashram. Five families have complaints against Bamjan. Complaints have been registered against him in various police offices for the alleged disappearance of three young women and two young men living in the ashram.

Bamjan lived in the forest of Halkhoria in Bara for a long time. He was saying that he was doing penance there. Lately, Bamjan had encroached more than 20 ropani forests in Kamalamai Municipality-8, Pareni of Sindhuli and was living in an ashram. The Bureau's team conducted a raid on June 4, 2077 to arrest him. But by that time he had fled before the police team reached.

Police raided his ashram in Bandegaon, Indrawati-6 in Sindhupalchok in December 2076. The police suspected that Sanchalal Rumba of Hetaunda, one of the missing persons, may have been murdered there. The police found 9 packets of salt while excavating the clay soil at one place of the ashram spread over about 80 ropani area. Although it is suspected that salt may have been used to embalm the body, no further evidence has been found.

Bamjan was drawn into the scope of investigation when those who reached his ashram began to disappear. On December 9, 2075, the victims held a press conference in Kathmandu and demanded that the government show readiness to search for those who disappeared from Bamjan. In a press conference, Gangamaya Tamang of Nuwakot Mygang Rural Municipality-3, Deurali, said that her younger sister, who had gone to Bamjan's ashram in 2068, was missing.

Mahendra Waiba of Hetaunda had said that his father Sanchalal had gone missing after reaching the ashram at Sindhuli in Bamjan on 14 Chait 2072. Phoolmaya, the daughter of Bir Bahadur Rumba of Hetaunda, followed him in 2068 after being influenced by Bamjan. However, the victim's family says that he is also not in contact.