Bangladeshi in Buddhist monk’s disguise arrested from Bihar’s Bodh Gaya

Police said Pawan Kanti Barua, 62, who was masquerading as monk Propul Chakma from Arunachal Pradesh, was arrested from the Sleeping Buddha Temple based on an intelligence input

A Bangladeshi living in a Buddhist monk’s disguise at a monastery in Bihar’s Bodh Gaya was arrested late on Thursday after illegally entering India last month and procuring a fake Aadhar card showing him as an Arunachal Pradesh native, a police officer said on Friday.

Police said Pawan Kanti Barua was booked under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. (Shutterstock)

The officer said Pawan Kanti Barua, 62, was arrested from the Bodh Gaya’s Sleeping Buddha Temple based on an intelligence input. He was masquerading as a monk, Propul Chakma, from Chowkham in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit district.

People aware of the matter said Barua initially argued with police, insisting he was an Indian national, and showed the fake Aadhaar card, which was seized. They added that he later accepted being a Bangladeshi national during interrogation. Barua had been living in Bodh Gaya for 15 days after illegally entering India without travel documents. He also participated in Buddha Jayanti functions this week, police said.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists annually visit the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha is believed to have gained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago.

Gaya police superintendent Ramanand Kumar Kaushal said Barua was booked under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.