More foreign currency seized from monastery

Himachal Pradesh Police and security agencies on Saturday intensified probe into the seizure of Rs 6 crore in foreign currencies, including Chinese yuan, from a monastery where the 17th Karmapa lives, even as the Tibetan leader’s office denied having “any link with any arm of the Chinese government”.

Himachal Pradesh Police and security agencies on Saturday intensified probe into the seizure of Rs 6 crore in foreign currencies, including Chinese yuan, from a monastery where the 17th Karmapa lives, even as the Tibetan leader’s office denied having “any link with any arm of the Chinese government”.

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In fresh searches in the house of an aide of the Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorje, in the Gyuto Tantric Monastery, police recovered $4,000 (Rs 1.8 lakh), euros and other currencies.

IGP (north) P.L Thakur said police had also raided the residential and commercial complexes of a businessman from whose vehicle police had recovered R1 crore in Una four days ago. Police suspect the money was for a benami land deal for building a monastery.

The seizure has drawn enforcement directorate sleuths to Una. Sources said they were looking at possible violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Meanwhile, the Karmapa office of administration said the seized money was offerings from local and international

disciples and any suggestion that these offerings were to be used for illegal purposes was libellous.