Self-Styled 'Buddha Boy' Sentenced to 10 Years for Assault

Ram Bahadur Bomjan, known as 'Buddha Boy', was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Nepalese court for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2016. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 500,000 on him.

In a landmark ruling, a Nepalese court on Monday sentenced Ram Bahadur Bomjan, the controversial self-styled spiritual leader known as 'Buddha Boy', to 10 years in jail for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2016.

The Sarlahi District Court, led by Judge Jeevan Kumar Bhandari, handed down the sentence and imposed a Rs 500,000 fine on Bomjan, underscoring the judicial system's stance on sexual crimes. The Kathmandu Post cited court registrar Sadan Adhikari in its report.

While Bomjan was found guilty last week, two of his aides were acquitted. He had been in hiding since 2020 before being apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police in January. The charges against him date back to 2016, where he reportedly raped a 15-year-old girl in his ashram and threatened her with dire consequences if she spoke out. Further allegations of murder, disappearance, and exploitation of followers against him are still pending trial.

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