Karmapa's trust may hold benami property

A trust backed by Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje could have amassed benami property and illegally stashed foreign currency worth Rs 20 crore, investigators claimed.

Dismissing suggestions that the Tibetan spiritual leader was unaware about Indian laws, government officials said the Karmapa had deposited Rs three crore received in last three years as donations to the bank account of the Trust and kept with him more than double the amount of cash.

"The law of the land applies to everyone. If anyone is involved in any illegal act, we are bound to take action against him or her," an official said.

Bank accounts of the Trust and its trustees have already been frozen in connection with the probe. Police have also had arrested seven persons, including one Karma Thapa and his wife Rinzin, in the case so far.

Foreign currency worth Rs 7.5 crore was recovered during raids on the premises of the Karmapa backed Trust at Gyuto Monastery at Sidhbari near Dharamsala after police seized Rs one crore from a vehicle on Una border on January 25 along with documents pertaining to land deals.

While the police and Enforcement Directorate sleuths have quizzed Karmapa and his aides in connection with source of foreign currency, including Chinese currency, the investigating agencies claim to have got vital leads about purchase of benami land plots.

Himachal Pradesh has a stringent law that bans purchase of land by any non-agriculturists including bonafide Himachalis without the permission of the government. The permission for purchase of land in relaxation of Section 118 of HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act is given by the government for projects, institution and bonafide Himachalis but the Tibetans, who have a "refugee" status, cannot purchase any land.

Police sources said that some of the deals where land had allegedly been purchased in the name of local people but buyers were not able to disclose the source of money are under scanner and these are suspected to have been purchased by Tibetans.