Gergana Krasteva unpacks an independent investigation into an unresolved cult murder case that has gripped the nation
“If I tell you that the sky is pink, for you it is either pink or you are not a real student of mine,” Bulgarian cult leader Ivaylo Kalushev told one of his followers. “Disobeying me is a sign that you do not know what you are doing.”
The self-styled Buddhist teacher, known as Lama Ivo, has been accused of coercive control over children he had taken under his wing. According to former followers it is a tactic he has mastered over decades.
In April 2026, Bulgarian independent outlet Bivol (buffalo) published a three-part investigation into what has become known as the Petrohan case – a high-profile criminal probe into the mysterious and violent deaths of five men and a 15-year-old boy in February 2026, along with allegations of paedophilia and abuse. Last month, the government released the much-anticipated findings of its investigation, which many in the country have argued raise more questions than answers.
Prosecutors have said the evidence gathered so far points to Kalushev as the sole perpetrator and found nothing that suggested outside involvement. Many Bulgarians aren’t so convinced.
A number of politicians, businessmen and agents from the country’s communist-era state security service, known as Darzhavna Sigurnost (DS), have been tied to the case, including former minister Borislav Sandov who was charged with official misconduct in connection with the crimes. He disputes the allegations.
The case has been ongoing throughout the year and captured international media attention, partly due to its sordid details and General Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov’s comparison with the popular American TV drama, Twin Peaks. But the extraordinary insights that have emerged from the original Bivol investigation, which is part of the international Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), reveal how such a case can become fertile ground for conspiracy theories and unfounded speculation – and the vital role of independent journalism in a country facing widespread corruption and political instability.
The story begins on February 2 with a fire at Petrohan Lodge in Bulgaria’s Stara Mountain range, which connects Sofia province with the northwestern Montana province. Three rangers were found dead inside, each with a gunshot wound to the head.
