Foreign currency seized from Karmapa's home

A huge amount of foreign currency was seized during raids at a transit home of 17th Karmappa Ugyen Trinley Dorje at Sidhbari near Dharamsala.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S R Mardi said the exact amount of currency notes of different countries recovered during the raids at Gyuto Monastery will be known after counting them.

A close aide of Kaprmappa, Rabjaychojan alias Shakti Lama, was arrested and interrogated about the source of the money staked in the monastery. The money was in currencies of China, Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, Thailand and several other countries and so far six suitcases had been unearthed, police said.

A sum of Rs 4 lakh in Indian currency was also

seized and more searches were likely, police said. The raids followed arrest of two persons Asutosh and Sanjay with Rs 1 crore at Una on Wednesday. The money was reportedly drawn from the Majnoo Ka Tila branch of a private sector bank in Delhi and the police was interrogating the duo.

The Karmappa was reportedly inside the monastery when the raids were conducted but there was no word from him or any of his aides about the raids and the money seized. The police said it was yet to be ascertained that to whom the money belonged to and what was its source.

The Kangra police have sent its teams to Dharamsala, Ambala, Delhi and some other places and also informed the Enforcement department and Income department about the seizures.