Two Tibetans detained with Rs 30 lakh cash

Unaccounted foreign and Indian currency worth totalling Rs 29 lakh was seized from two Tibetan monks by Himachal Pradesh police in Una district’s at Mehtpur barrier on border with Punjab on Saturday. Seized currency also includes $16 and Chinese Yuan worth 40,420. According to police officials, the seized cash was stashed in an SUV (DL- 01 CQ-4402). Police team at Mehatpur had stopped the vehicle bearing registration number of Delhi for routine checking in the afternoon.

Una DSP Kulvinder Singh told TOI that police have detained two Tibetan monks who had claimed that cash being carried in the vehicle was donation and was being taken to Kirti Monastery located at McLeod Ganj. He said that both monks have been detained for interrogation and no FIR has been registered even as income tax officials have been called to verify the facts.

This is the second time when police has intercepted huge unaccounted cash being carried by monks. Himachal Pradesh police in January 2011, had seized unaccounted cash of Rs1 crore from two persons. The money trail later linked the currency haul to top Tibetan spiritual leader 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

Following the interrogation of arrested persons, police raided the Gyuto Monastery, the temporary residence of Karmapa, where around Rs six crore (1 crore = 10,000,000) unaccounted foreign and Indian currency was seized.