Buddhist monk held for sexually assaulting minors

Patna: The Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar suffered a setback after a Buddhist monk, Bante Sanghpriya Sujoy, was arrested for sexually abusing 15 children at a meditation school in Bodh Gaya.

Sources familiar with the case told this newspaper that all the kids were aged between seven and 13 years. The case had surfaced when one of the victims informed his parents about the torture he and other children were facing in the Buddhist Novice School and Meditation Centre at Bodh Gaya.

The police said that a parallel probe has also been launched against the Prajanna Social Welfare Trust, which was managing the school. Speaking about the incident Gaya SSP, Rajeev Mishra told reporters that, “role of other members of the trust is also being investigated and if any evidence surfaces we will also lodge FIR against them”.  

All the children being trained at the meditation centre were from Assam. The case surfaced after one of the victims somehow managed to call his parents and narrated sordid details of torture he and other children suffered at the school.

The parents later approached the police and demanded action against the superintendent of the meditation centre. The police said that a case was registered against the accused under Pocso Act and a medical board is also being constituted to examine the victims.

“We are trying to find more details about the case from the kids as well from other sources. Children have informed us that the monk used to sexually abuse and torture them on regular basis, ” said Dy SP Rajkumar Shah.who has been assigned to lead the investigation of the case.

Sources claimed that the children told the police in their statement that they were beaten up by the monk if they refused to oblige him. The police said all 15 children and their family members would be kept at a safer location in Bodh Gaya during the period of the probe. The victims are also likely to record their statements before a judicial magistrate.