Leh, Oct 3: The Ladakh administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the violence that erupted in Leh on September 24, which left four people dead and around 90 injured. The probe will be led by Mukul Beniwal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nubra, who has been instructed by the Deputy Commissioner of Leh to submit his report within four weeks.
The inquiry comes after the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) demanded a judicial investigation into the police firing during protests over statehood and Sixth Schedule demands. The unrest saw protesters set fire to the BJP office and ransack the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) office. Several CRPF and police personnel were also injured in the violence.
The SDM’s committee will examine the circumstances leading to the law and order breakdown, police action, and the deaths of Jigmet Dorjey, Rinchen Dadul, Stanzin Namgail, and Tsewang Tharchin, a former soldier. The public has been urged to provide any information that could help reconstruct the events.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and the All Ladakh Gonpa Association passed a resolution calling for an impartial judicial inquiry, compensation for the victims’ families, and the release of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk and other detainees. Seven student organisations also submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge and public apologies from media outlets that allegedly defamed the Ladakhi community.