Karmapa does not examine any offering by devotees, says adviser to his office

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Jan 30(ANI): An adviser of Karmapa Lama's office in Dharamsala, Karma Topden, on Sunday said that Lama never examine any offerings made by the followers, so he cannot be alleged of money laundering.

Authorities are probing a suspected plan of the Tibetan leader to buy land and establish China-friendly institutions across the Himalayan region.

A couple of days ago, police had raided the monastery of the Karmapa Lama, and recovered a huge sum of foreign currency of at least 25 countries, estimated as being worth 60 million rupees.

"Karmapa does not look into these offerings, he does not examine these offerings. They are placed in front of him by the various devotees who come and after the audience finishes, the audience secretary and official concerns take them down and hand it over to the committee or council, who after that open them and store them," Topden said.

Topden also denied Lama being Chinese spy by saying that his escape from Tibet exposed the sufferings of Tibetans under Chinese rule.

"His very escape and arrival to India exposed the Chinese misrule in Tibet. It confirmed what the world believed that the Tibetans in Tibet were under suppression and were not happy," Topden said.

He concluded by noting that Karmapa Lama considers India, his second home and will not work against the interest of India.

"He has told me this that he has never done anything while his stay in India in any way to undermine the interest of India, to harm the interest of India. India is his second home, he is happy here and he looks forward to India becoming a powerful and prosperous nation," Topden said.

Himachal Police had earlier detained an hotelier named K.P. Bharadwaj for alleged involvement in the money trail.

Karmapa Lama lives in exile along with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, the centre of the self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile.

Karmapa Lama is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and is the third most important leader in Tibetan hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama.

He is widely tipped by many to lead the Tibetan movement in exile after the Dalai Lama. (ANI)