The monk of a Buddhist centre in Bihar’s Bodh Gaya was arrested on charges of sexually abusing at least fifteen boys from Assam studying at the centre. The child monks, all from Assam, were studying at a school-cum-meditation centre run by the accused Bhante Shanghpriya Sujoy at Mastpura village under Bodh Gaya police station. The accused monk hails from Assam as well.
“The child monks had complained to their respective guardians about physical and sexual abuse by their head monk. They also informed us that they were thrashed, mistreated and sexually abused while staying in the school. We are investigating the matter now”, the DSP told journalists.
The child monks said to police that the head monk used to sexually abuse them in his office and bedroom, beating and threatening them with dire consequences on refusal. They have been studying at the centre for more than a year. They also showed marks on their bodies to senior police officers, who talked to them after they complained about the sexual and the physical abuse.
The police are also investigating details of the trust which runs the school. FIR will be lodged against all members of the trust if any fraudulent activities are found, said a police officer.
