Indian govt looking into Karmapa's karma

Dharamsala, Jan 29: Yet another instance that money and religion is a lethal combination. The arrest of an aide to the Tibetan spiritual leader Karmapa Lama caught in the middle of a foreign money controversy has stolen the limelight. He is presently being questioned by Himachal Pradesh police on the large stash of cash amounting to Rs 7 crores found in the Gyuto monastery. Another close aide of Karmapa, Rabjaychojan alias Shakti Lama, was also arrested in the raid.

The foreign currency seized in the raid is Chinese Yuan linking Karmapa's apparent clandestine relationship with China. The sinister connection between Karmapa and China is still under investigation, though the information coming out of police sources seem to be closely-guarded.

This comes in spite of the monastery in Dharamsala proclaiming that they would fully cooperate with the investigations. Karma Chungliapa, Deputy General Secretary of Karmapa Monastery said, "We are consulting out legal experts and later in the day we will issue a proper statement. We know that the press and people are asking many questions. We will respond all of them, but as of now, our priority is to cooperate fully with the investigating agency."

After news spread in the Indian media space that the Lama being a possible Chinese agent had sent government officials in a tizzy. Dharamsala was considered the headquarters of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile.

Police raided the Gyuto monastery after a tip-off on Thursday and arrested a monk on suspicion of trying to illegally buy land in the region. The raid followed the arrest of two Indians a day earlier who were found carrying Rupees 10 million in cash, said Santosh Patial, Superintendent of police.

On questioning, the two said they had received the money from the monk, an Indian national, to buy a plot of land in Himachal Pradesh where Dharmsala is located. Patial said the Indians, who come from other Indian states, need special government permission to buy land in Himachal Pradesh state.

Tibetan parliamentarians however claim that it was ignorance of forex laws that led to this debacle and are wholeheartedly supporting the Lama.

OneIndia News
(With inputs from agencies)