The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Friday ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge Dr Justice B S Chauhan into the September 24 violence in Leh district of Ladakh in which four persons were killed and 80 others injured.
According to a notification issued by MHA, the judicial probe to be headed by Justice B S Chauhan a former judge of the Supreme Court, is mandated to investigate the circumstances leading to serious law and order situation, the police action and the resultant unfortunate deaths of four people.
Retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar will function as judicial secretary, while IAS officer Tushar Anand will be the administrative secretary of the inquiry commission.
The September 24 clashes between police and protesters – who were demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union territory – left four civilians dead and 80 injured.
The appointment of a retired Supreme Court judge to head the inquiry directly addresses the demand by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for a high-level, impartial judicial investigation.
The announcement of the probe comes as an attempt to restore dialogue with the representatives LAB and KDA, which suspended talks with the home ministry’s high-powered committee (HPC) following the killing of four persons in police firing on September 24.
The talks with the HPC were scheduled on October 6, but after the violence and crackdown by the Ladakh administration, the Leh and Karil groups demanded the immediate release of all people arrested and detained, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and shifted to Jodhpur jail two days after the incident.
The LAB and KDA have demanded an end to the alleged harassment, summoning, and pressure tactics being used by the local administration and police against the local youth and civil society members.
Meanwhile, MHA in a statement reiterated its commitment to continuous dialogue.
“The government has always been open for dialogues at any time, and it would continue to welcome discussion with the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the high-powered committee on Ladakh or any such platform,” the MHA statement said.
“We are confident that continuous dialogue will yield the desired results in the near future. The government stands committed to the aspiration of the people of Ladakh,” it said.
The main issues that were on the agenda for discussions with the HPC remain the core demands of the ABL and KDA, seeking constitutional safeguards and greater political autonomy for the Union territory created in 2019.
These demands include full statehood with its own legislative assembly to ensure greater political representation and self-governance, to protect the unique culture, fragile ecosystem, and land rights of the predominantly tribal population by granting Autonomous District Councils, two Lok Sabha seats, and the formation of a dedicated recruitment body to tackle high unemployment among the local youth, and ensure job reservations for Ladakh residents.