Police today continued searches at the offices of a trust backed by 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje, who was questioned over the seizure of foreign currency valued at Rs7 crore.
Widening the ambit of the probe in connection with the recovery of huge foreign currency in the Karmapa's transit home, police and security agencies today quizzed his secretary for hours and searched the aide's residence and office besides that of a local businessman.
ADGP (law and order) SR Mardi said that foreign currency including US dollars worth Rs4 lakh was recovered in the raids but Gompu Tshering was not arrested.
Police also raided the residence of Dharamsala-based businessman KC Bharadwaj but nothing incriminating was found.
Mardi said Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje was not quizzed but only asked about the source of the money but he feigned ignorance.
However, his spokesperson asserted that it was money received through offerings and donations and not illegal money.
Police had recovered foreign currency worth over Rs7 crore during raids on the trust backed by Karmapa and arrested the main accountant Shakti Lama.
Police also questioned Karmapa's elder sister Nagdup Peljon who maintained that her brother was a religious guru and had nothing to do with the money.
DGP DS Minhas said investigations by various agencies were in progress and the Karmapa was neither under arrest or house arrest.
The government had already imposed some restrictions on him and he has to seek permission of the government for going out, he said.
When asked the source of money recovered so far, Minhas said that the bank accounts of the persons concerned were being checked but it looked improbable that such huge sums were offerings by devotees.
So far only three persons, Ahsutosh and Sanjay Dutt, who were allegedly carrying cash amounting Rs1 crore and intercepted on Una border on January 26, and Shakti Lama have been arrested.
Karmapa's spokesperson said they were fully cooperating with the police and Enforcement department officers and had done nothing illegal.
Sources said some secret and incriminating documents were recovered but police refused to divulge details.
Karmapa sneaked into India and reached Dharamsala in 2000 under mysterious circumstances. He was made to stay at Gyuto Monastery at Sidhbari near Dharamsala and was provided security. He was recognised as Karmapa by Dalai Lama few years ago but the recovery of foreign currency, including huge amount of Chinese currency has again raised doubts about his Chinese connections.
Meanwhile, the Tibetan government-in-exile did not react to the developments and an unfazed Dalai Lama today left for eight-day visit of Karnataka.
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