Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested After Leh Violence

Leh – Prominent Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on Friday, two days after violent protests in Leh demanding statehood left four people dead and nearly 90 injured. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has held Wangchuk responsible for instigating the unrest.

The arrest follows the MHA’s cancellation of the FCRA registration of Wangchuk’s non-profit, Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which allowed it to receive foreign contributions.

During the clashes, mobs targeted the BJP office, Hill Council building, and several vehicles, reportedly using petrol bombs. The four civilians killed in security force firing have been identified, while 90 others were injured, seven critically. One of the seriously injured was airlifted to New Delhi, and 18 remain hospitalised.

In response, Leh authorities imposed curfew in Leh and Kargil, closed schools and educational centres for two days, and extended prohibitory orders banning assemblies of more than five people. Investigations are ongoing into the role of outsiders, including youths from Nepal and Jammu’s Doda district, as well as two Congress councillors.

Authorities have warned of strict action against those involved, with some potentially facing charges under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

With inputs from IANS