After being sent to prison in a money laundering case, Bamjan approached the Supreme Court with petition number 73.
What you should know
A hearing has been scheduled for the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Ram Bahadur Bamjan, who is being held in custody for investigation into murder, sexual assault, and money laundering cases.
The bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Nityanand Pandey is holding a hearing. Bamjan has approached the Supreme Court with petition number 73 after being sent to custody in a money laundering case. Bamjan has approached the Supreme Court as per the provisions of the Criminal Code, which allows him to approach the higher court against a lower court's remand.
He, who is also known as Lilit Buddha, who calls himself a ascetic, was arrested on 24 Poush 2080 while hiding in Kathmandu.
Bamjan had filed the petition on 24 Kartik. He was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police from a house in Budhanilkantha. When he reached the house, he tried to escape.
Bamjan was being sought by the police on charges of murdering, disappearing and sexually assaulting followers living in the ashram. Five families had filed complaints against Bamjan. Complaints had been registered against him at various police offices on charges of disappearing three young women and two young men living in the ashram.
Bamjan had been living in the forest in Halkhoriya, Bara for a long time. He had been saying that he was doing penance there. Recently, Bamjan had encroached on more than 20 ropanis of forest in Kamalamai Municipality-8, Pareni, Sindhuli and had built an ashram. A team of the Bureau had raided him on 4 Ashad 2077 to arrest him. But by then, he had already fled before the police team reached him.
The police had also raided the ashram in Todke forest in Bandegaun, Indrawati-6, Sindhupalchowk in 2076 Poush. The police suspected that one of the missing persons, Sanchalal Rumba from Hetauda, may have been murdered there. The police found Kamalo soil in a place in the ashram, spread over an area of about 80 ropanis, and while excavating, they found 9 packets of salt. Although it was suspected that salt may have been used to embalm the body, no further evidence was found.
He was drawn into the investigation after people who had visited Bomjan's ashram started disappearing. On 2018, the victims held a press conference in Kathmandu and demanded that the government show promptness in the search for those who had disappeared from Bomjan. At the press conference, Gangamaya Tamang of Deurali, Myagang Rural Municipality-3, Nuwakot, said that her sister, who had visited Bomjan's ashram in 2068 BS, was missing.
Mahendra Waiba of Hetauda said that his father Sanchalal had gone missing after visiting Bomjan's ashram in Sindhuli on 2017 BS. Phulmaya, the daughter of Bir Bahadur Rumba of Hetauda, had followed Bomjan in 2068 BS after being influenced by him, who was said to be practicing penance in Halkhoriya forest in Bara. However, the victim's family says that she too has not been in touch.
