New Delhi, December 19 - The Delhi High Court issued summons to the Dalai Lama and the Central Government on a suit seeking as illegal the declaration of Urgyen - Trinlay Dorje as the 17th Karmapa and his expulsion from India.

Justice R C Chorpa issued summons, returnable January 21, to Dalai Lama, 17th Karmapa, Head of the Rumtek Monestry in Sikkim Tai Setu Rinpohe, Union Home and External Affairs Ministries and PGI hospital Chandigarh on the suit for declaration filed by Lama S N Singh, who belongs to the Karma Kagyu school of Buddhism and to which the 17th Karmapa also belonged.

The judge also issued notice on interim applications seeking a restraint on Dalai Lama, who belonged to the Gelugpa school of Buddhism, from interfering in the matters the Karma Kagyu school and production of medical documents from PGI showing 17th Karmapa's age.

In his plaint, Singh alleged that the interest of security was compromised by the Indian Government because the 17th Karmapa was a Chinese citizen and as per the report of the Sikkim Cabinet Secretary in 1997, China was using the 17th Karmapa as an instrument to "influence" the people of Sikkim.

The plaintiff, through counsel Surat Singh, claimed that the installation of the 17th Karmapa was an internal affair of the Kagyu sect but Dalai Lama, who did not belong to the sect, unnecessarily interfered in the religious matter of the sect by recognising Urgyen Trinlay Dorje as the 17th Karmapa. It was stated that the 16th Karmapa died in October 1981 and as per tradition the next Karmapa could 'appear' only after his death.

But while the certificate issued by Dalai Lama for the 17th Karmapa gave his date of birth as June 16, 1985, PGI medical records show him to be much older, it was claimed.

Besides Dalai Lama had no right or jurisdiction to issue such a certificate and to interfere in the internal matters of the Kagyu sect, also called as the 'panth' of Himalayan Buddhism, it added.

The 17th Karmapa was the first person ever to be recognised by the Chinese Government as the first living Buddha, in the history of China in direct contradiction with its political ideology, the plaint said.

He was officially enthroned by the Chinese Government in Tibet in September 1992. Moreover the Chinese Government categorically stated that the 17th Karmapa was its official representative amongst the Tibetan people, it added.

The Chinese have a long-term game-plan of annexing the various Himalayan regions in the name of Buddhism and they have also decided to establish a base in Sikkim, it was alleged.

The easiest method available to them was to install their own candidate as the Karmapa. Therefore, in 1992, the Chinese Government, with the support of Tai Setu Rinpohe, declared a young boy as the 17th Karmapa, it claimed.