The Central intelligence agencies probing the recovery of foreign currency, including Chinese Yuan worth `13 lakhs, from exiled Tibetan leader 17th Karmapa’s Gyuto Tantric Monastery are now trying to gather functional details about the “central control room” of the Tibet’s top spiritual leader, Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje. The possibility of ‘’hawala’’ channels being used for routing the money to the monastery has not been ruled out, while the agencies are also trying to ascertain where the recovery money was intended to be invested.
The role of Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje in influencing local leaders and NGOs is also under the scanner as government officials believe that he was working under a ‘’grand plan’’ of China to wrest control of monasteries along the India-China border. Citing an example of Karmapa’s growing influence in the region, sources disclosed that a top political leader of Himachal Pradesh had written a letter to the home ministry few months ago asking it to allow Karmapa to visit Sikkim, official sources said. They said that Karmapa had been denied permission since the Central agencies were already on his trail. “Karmapa wanted to visit certain regions in the Northeast but he was not given permission,” it said.
According to sources, Karmapa and some of his selected followers had access to the “control room” constructed inside the Gyuto Tantric Monastery. Agencies have ascertained the identity of his followers who had access to the control room. The officials are questioning these men, sources said, adding that agencies are also trying to find out the purpose behind setting up the “control room”. A high-tech library, located inside the monastery, is also under the scanner of the probe agencies.
“Agencies have also collected details of certain investments allegedly being planned by Karmapa and his followers in Nepal. There are credible reports that Karmapa and his followers were planning to open an institute in Nepal and were also planning to open a similar institute in Kangra and Mandi areas of Himachal Pradesh,” sources said. Reports of Karmapa’s plan to invest in Sikkim, Varanasi, Gaya and in certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir are also being probed, sources added.