In yet another shocking case of child sex abuse, a senior Buddhist monk has been accused of sexually abusing 15 boys at a meditation centre he ran in the holy town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
The monk, Bhante Shanghpriya Sujoy, has been arrested, police said on Saturday.
The child monks, who were all from Assam, were studying at the school-cum-meditation centre run by the accused in Mastpura village under the Bodh Gaya police station.
According to media reports, boys, in their complaint, told the police that they were abused and forced to dance in the nude.
An FIR was lodged at the Bodh Gaya police station under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act.
“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,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Shah told local journalists.
The police are also investigating details of the trust which runs the school. A case will also be filed against the members of the trust if they are found to be involved in the case.