Indian authorities have filed charges against Tibetan Buddhism's third most important leader following an investigation into $1.35 million in cash discovered at his headquarters in northern India, police said
The money was found last January during a police raid on the Karmapa's monastery. It was in nearly two dozen currencies, and the Karmapa's aides said it had been donated by his followers, who came from all over the world. But the amount of cash, which included a large sum of Chinese yuan, concerned police, who said the sums were too large to be merely from donations.
The raid on the Gyuto Monastery was unprecedented and particularly surprising since the Karmapa, Ugyen Thinley Dorje, is revered by Tibetans and Buddhists. India has gone to great lengths to provide asylum to Buddhist leaders who have fled Tibet, including the Dalai Lama.
The court will soon examine the evidence submitted by the police and decide whether the Karmapa and his followers should be tried on the charges.
A spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile said he was sure no Indian laws had deliberately been broken.
"What resulted was due to negligence on part of the staff members of the Karmapa," Thupten Samphal told The Associated Press. "It is also a case of ignorance of the Indian law. Now that the case is on, law should take its own course."
The Karmapa's office later said it had cooperated fully and provided the authorities with complete details and documents pertaining to the case.
"At no point of time His Holiness was ever called or examined by the investigating agency," the statement from the office said. "His Holiness has no involvement, direct or indirect, in the financial administration of the office or trust."
The statement said the next course of action would be decided after the court decided on the charge-sheet filed by police.
While the Karmapa was charged with conspiracy and knowledge of undeclared money, the three followers face the additional charges of cheating and forgery of documents. If convicted, the Karmapa faces up to two years in prison, and his followers up to 10 years.
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