Himachal Police suspect hawala money at Karmapa’s refuge monastry

Story by: Agencies
Dharmshala: The Himachal Police suspects that the huge amount of foreign currency seized during raids at the transit home of 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje was brought to the state through hawala routes.

Currency notes of different countries were recovered during the raids at Gyuto Monastery, 6 km from here, yesterday and a close aide of the Karmapa, Rabjaychojan alias Shakti Lama, was arrested and interrogated about the source of the money stacked in the monastery.

Director General of Police D S Manhas today said, “We suspect that the entire currency was brought to the state illegally, possibly through hawala routes”.

Investigations are being carried out with the help of top central agencies, he said, adding, “Our teams have already left for four places, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala and Dharamshala” The money seized yesterday was in currencies of China, Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, Thailand and several other countries and six suitcases had been unearthed.A sum of Rs 4 lakh in Indian currency was also seized and more searches were likely, police said.

The raids followed arrest of two persons Asutosh and Sanjay with Rs 1 crore at Una yesterday. The police had raided the monastery after information that black money was being used for transaction of benami land deals, sources said.

The money was reportedly drawn from the Majnoo Ka Tila branch of a private sector bank in Delhi and the police was interrogating the duo.

Karmapa was reportedly inside the monastery when the raids were conducted. Both the offices of The Dalai Lama and The Karmapa Lama have not reacted till now to the recovery of the money.

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3 Comments

  1. says: Rajneesh

    There could be many hidden Karmapas with such abundant unaccounted money. Its only when things get highlighted by media, we get to know whats happening.

    If thoroughly checked, Tibetan refugee who are doing business in INDIA in exile are violating laws of land. Neither they pay taxes, nor their businesses are legally registered..hundreds and hundreds of small shops …where they sell goods worth crores every year….

    Tibetans are always yelling at CHINA, making demonstrations…fetching international sympathy, minting & collecting dollars , Euros as donation money and keep Selling “MADE IN CHINA” goods at their shops at Mcleodganj, Manali and everywhere they are living. What a way to seek freedom from CHINA..nice !

    There seems a bigger game plan going on ..this episode may be just the tip of iceberg….I guess something fishy is being cooked in silence of Himalayas and Dhauladhars !

  2. DHARAMSHALA: Tai Situ Rinpoche, who anointed Ugyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa, by producing a prediction letter of the 16th Karmapa, has a chequered past, said Himachal Pradesh director-general of police D S Minhas.

    Tai has passports of several countries though he is a Tibetan refugee in Himachal Pradesh. The Kagyu sect, headed by the Karmapa, has properties worth around $1.5 billion in various parts of the world, said Minhas. “This is possibly the reason for the fight between claimants for the throne of the head of Kagyu sect,” the DGP said.

    Probe related to seizure of the foreign currency haul, including Chinese yuan, from Gyuto monastery is on. Leads are being verified about the alleged Karmapa-China link.

    Karmapa’s aides have purchased properties in India, including Himachal Pradesh, which is illegal as Tibetans refugees cannot buy land or any property, said Minhas. He rubbished claims by Karmapa supporters that the money seized from the monastery was donated by followers. The currency notes had been neatly packed in a trunk.

    “It is hard to believe the Karmapa or his staff had no knowledge about the money,” the DGP said.

  3. says: Rajneesh

    Karmapa has become PAPA of unaccounted money. Religion is the greatest opium whose addiction is greater than any other intoxicant..people once consume it blindly ..and keep addicted till the end of life without even trying to open other windows of mind and soul !

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