Cash controversy: Karmapa quizzed, misses prayer meeting

DHARAMSALA - Tibetan religious leader Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje has been questioned by the Himachal Pradesh police and other central government agencies over the recovery of currency worth nearly Rs.7 crore from the monastery. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Saturday he will take up the issue with the prime minister.

The Karmapa, police sources said, was questioned late Friday night at his monastery at Sidhbari, 10 km from here. His statement is likely to be recorded by the police Saturday.

With the developments of the last two days bringing his office into a major cash controversy, the Karmapa, who is the 17th reincarnation of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the third highest ranked monk after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, missed the Saturday morning prayers and public audience.

As searches continued for the third day in offices located in the monastery premises, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the state is following protocol procedures.

“We have apprised the central government on the development. They are on the job and investigating the case. We are following protocol,” Dhumal told reporters here.

He said he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Feb 1.

“It’s a serious issue and even a threat to the internal security of the state,” Dhumal said.

With the Gyuto Tantric monastery, where the Karmapa has been residing in the last few years with his followers, swarming with police officials, the Karmapa has been confined to his rooms on the top floor even though the authorities are not officially saying that he is under house arrest.

Police and other security agencies had recovered foreign and Indian currency, amounting to nearly Rs.70 million from the monastery.

“The foreign currency is from 25 different countries and includes large amounts of US dollars, Chinese Yuan, Hong Kong dollars, Taiwanese and other currencies,” Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police D.S. Manhas said.

The Karmapa’s office, in a statement said, they were “complying fully with the investigation”.

“Our lineage and His Holiness the Karmapa enjoy the love, trust and faith of millions across the world. We have a rich history of public service made possible through financial dealings that are entirely transparent,” the Karmapa Office of Administration aid in the statement.

“We will certainly answer all questions that the press and the public have, but for now we respectfully request you to allow us to concentrate on complying fully with the investigation that is underway,” it added.

The raids on the Karmapa’s monastery in Sidhbari on the outskirts of this town were conducted after the police arrested two people at Mehatpur in Una district a day before and seized unaccounted Rs.1 crore from them.

Police believe the money was meant for some “illegal” land deal in Dharamsala in Kangra district with the involvement of Karmapa’s aide Rubgi Chosang.

Chosang, who was an accountant in the monastery, was arrested Thursday and sent to police custody for nine days by a Una court.