Indian police arrest monk suspected of abusing children

PATNA, India – Police have arrested a monk suspected of sexually abusing children at a Buddhist shelter and meditation centre in eastern India, an official said Thursday.

Police officer Ram Kumar Chaudhary said the 55-year-old monk, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested on Wednesday in Bodh Gaya, a prominent Buddhist pilgrimage site in Bihar state.

He said police registered a criminal case against the monk, Bhante Sangh Priya, and were questioning 15 boys aged 10 to 12, some of whom complained to their parents about the monk’s behaviour.

Bodh Gaya is known for the Mahabodhi Temple Complex marking the site where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. It is 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of Patna, the state capital.