NEW DELHI // One of the top monks in Tibetan Buddhism faces prosecution for money laundering.
An Indian court overturned a decision to drop charges against Karmapa Urgyen Trinley, police said yesterday.
The high court in Himachal Pradesh state an order to open criminal proceedings against the karmapa over the recovery of about US$1 million (Dh3.67m) in foreign currency.
The money was recovered during a raid on his Buddhist monastery four years ago.
Although criminal conspiracy charges were filed in the aftermath of the raid, a district court had dismissed the case in 2012, in a verdict that was later appealed and the subject of Wednesday’s hearing.
Local police chief Anupam Sharma confirmed the first steps in the prosecution had begun.
“We have already filed a chargesheet in the court against him,” Mr Sharma said.
The case dates back to a raid in January 2011 on a monastery in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, in which investigators said bank notes in 26 different currencies were recovered, including Chinese yuan worth more than $100,000.
The raid came after two people in a car containing large amounts of cash were pulled over by police. During interrogations, the pair said the money was meant for a land deal involving a trust headed by the karmapa.
Karmapa Urgyen Trinley, 30, has denied any wrongdoing, and said the bank notes found in the monastery were donations from devotees that had accumulated over the years, and that he had no involvement in the land deal.
He is recognised by both China and the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Karmapa Lama, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage.
Kunzang Chungyalpa, a spokesman for the Karmapa, said he had great faith in India’s judicial system.
“He strongly believes truth will prevail at the end,” he said.
* Agence France-Presse