Ladakh outfits reject magisterial inquiry into Leh violence, seek probe ‘free from any pressures’

SDM Nubra Mukul Beniwal has been named as the enquiry officer in the incident. The order seeks information from members of the public “desirous” of submitting oral or written testimonies or submit material evidence within a period of four weeks.

Sajjad Kargili, a member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance and of the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted High-Powered Committee (HPC), told The Indian Express that they “reject” this magisterial probe since the demand has been for a judicial probe.

“We outrightly reject this magisterial probe. We have sought a probe that is free from any pressures or influence of the UT administration,” Kargili said. He added that a magisterial may “not be the correct authority to probe who fired and when” on September 24.

Workers wait outside a shop at a market during relaxation in curfew in Leh on Thursday. (PTI)

President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), also a member of the HPC Cherring Dorjay Lakrook also rejected the magisterial probe. In a meeting of the body held in Leh today, the LBA has reiterated its demand for an impartial judicial probe by a retired judge into the “excessive use of force and indiscriminate firing by the Ladakh Police and paramilitary forces on September 24, 2025.”

They have also sought adequate compensation by the UT administration for the deceased youth as well as those critically injured. The LBA has also repeated its demand of releasing Sonam Wangchuk from detention as well as others “arbitrarily arrested detained” by the Ladakh Police.

The violence left at least four people dead — Jigmet Dorjay, Rinchen Dadul, Stanzin Namgial, and Tsewang Tharchin — and several others injured. Protestors set a BJP office on fire, and police fired teargas shells to disperse them. Curfew had been imposed in Leh following the deaths.

While the next round of talks between Ladakh’s representatives and the MHA as part of the HPC were scheduled to be held on October 6, both the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance had pulled out seeking an inquiry into the killings. The two bodies have also sought release of youth that have been detained post the violence that took place on September 24.

Meanwhile, Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk wrote to the President of India on Wednesday (October 1) seeking his “unconditional release”. In her letter, she also noted that “apart from the illegal detention of my husband, the manner in which the State and its agencies are hounding us and have kept us under surveillance is deplorable. It is violative of the spirit and ethos of the Constitution of India, including Articles 21 and 22, which guarantee every citizen the fundamental right to legal representation,” Angmo said.

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