Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) : At least five people were arrested in connection with the money trail of Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje while the Tibetan leader faces questioning, police said here on Sunday.
Police said while five were arrested all investigating agencies are probing the case of the Karmapa’s alleged China links and money trail after huge amount of currencies, including Chinese yen, were recovered.
A senior police official said Rs 7 to 8 crore was recovered so far.
Meanwhile, a team of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), along with Intelligence Bureau (IB), is in Dharamshala to question Ogyen Trinley Dorje for his alleged Chinese links.
According to an NDTV report, a hotelier named K P Bharadwaj has been detained in connection with recovery of Rs 1 crore from a car while the police is on the trail of other property agents.
Reports said the Finance Ministry has sought a report from the Himachal Pradesh government on the Karmapa issue.
The treasurer of the monastery, Shakti Lama, is remanded in police custody till Feb 5, according to reports.
Earlier reports said Himachal Pradesh police has quizzed Tibetan Ogyen Trinley Dorje for his alleged Chinese links after his accountant was arrested the day before with an estimated Rs 8.5 crores in multiple currencies.
Himachal Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S R Mardi told IBNS earlier: “Searches are on in many residences.”
Mardi said an arrested treasurer has been only interrogated.
The monastery in Dharamsala said they would cooperate with the police and other agencies probing the source of the money.
Dorje was enthroned as the 17th Karmapa ? the head of the Karma Kagyu, one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism ? after the death of the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. But his election has been embroiled in controversy and Trinley Thaye Dorje operates as a parallel Karmapa.
With about 11 lakh in Chinese yuan (Rs 76 lakh) being recovered in the raids, questions are being raised on whether Dorje was acting as a Chinese agent in Himachal Pradesh.
The head of the second-biggest Buddhist sect in Tibet, he escaped from China and arrived at the Tibetan exile quarters at McLeod Ganj in 2000. Officials now suspect that the escape was staged, reports said.
Authorities believe that with the money that was recovered on Friday, the Karmapa intended to set up a China-friendly Monastery on Kangra, Himachal Pradesh in an attempt to rally support for the country.
This is said to be Dorje?s third attempt to acquire land in Kangra, following attmepts earlier in 2007 and 2008 which were halted by the RBI and Enforcement Directorate after the started scrutinising the sources of the cash.