SC gives 4 weeks to HP over Karmapa’s plea

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, September 28

The Supreme Court today granted four-week time to the Himachal Government for responding to 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorjee’s plea for quashing the criminal proceedings against him in a case of money laundering and illegal land deal.

A Bench comprising Justices MB Lokur and SA Bobde passed an order on the state counsel’s plea for time to consult and take instructions from the state government.

On August 25, the SC effectively stalled the criminal proceedings against the Karmapa by staying the HP High Court order, allowing his prosecution. A trial court in Una had dropped the charges against the Karmapa on May 21, 2012, but the HC quashed it on July 8 this year and directed holding of trial.

The SC also issued notice to the state government on August 25, seeking its response to the Karmapa’s plea for setting aside the HC ruling.

The Karmapa along with others was charged under various sections of the IPC following the recovery of unaccounted foreign currency amounting to Rs 1.2 crore from Gyuto Tantric University and Monastery in Sidhbari, near Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, on January 28, 2011.

The searches were conducted after the seizure of Rs 1 crore from a vehicle in Una on January 26, 2011.

Another charge was the evasion of tax in the purchase of 52 canals of land for Rs 5 crore by declaring that the transaction was for Rs 2.5 crore. Also, no permission was taken from the state government for the deal as required under law.

The Karmapa has maintained that the dealings were done by a trust whose accounts were operated by its staff and the sale and purchase of land was taken care of by a panel without his knowledge.