Sonam Wangchuk Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday demanded that the findings of the judicial inquiry into last year’s deadly violence in Leh be made public, saying, “Justice must be served to Ladakh.”Wangchuk was speaking at a rally in Leh held to mark the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 agitation. A complete shutdown was observed across Leh on Thursday as part of “Shaheed Diwas” to remember the four people who were killed during the violence.“ The truth is being suppressed and hasn’t been revealed even after a year. The impression people here have is that there were attempts to incite Buddhist-Muslim communal riots long before this, and they have been happening. In that same sequence, three Muslims were appointed as magistrates to ensure a firing order was written, so that it could be blamed on Buddhists—that ‘they’ let people die. But look at their character; they refused. There was no need for such firing—to shoot people in the chest and do such things. All this will become clear when the inquiry commission’s report comes out. They must release it.”Wangchuk said that if the report was not released, people would seek an alternative mechanism to examine the events.“If you do not release the inquiry commission report, we will demand the creation of a ‘People’s Tribunal.’ We will appeal to those in our country’s justice system whose conscience is still alive—to those judges, retired judges, and all institutions—to form a People’s Tribunal, ask the people, and give your own judgment if this continues to be suppressed… We still hope that the government will provide justice to these martyrs and to Ladakh, which has saved the nation’s borders with such patriotism. Justice must be served to the martyrs. Justice must be served to Ladakh,” he added.Leh observes Shaheed DiwasMarkets, commercial establishments and business hubs remained closed across Leh, while public transport was largely off the roads as residents observed the shutdown.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe September 24, 2025 protests were held over demands including statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, including inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.The protests later turned violent, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to several others. The administration subsequently constituted a judicial inquiry commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B S Chauhan to examine the circumstances leading to the violence, police action and the deaths.Earlier on Wednesday, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 people booked in connection with last year’s violence. The announcement came a day before the anniversary.Meanwhile, the Centre and Ladakh representatives have continued discussions over constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorKanchan YadavKanchan Yadav is a writer at The Times of India, where she covers business, politics, international affairs and social issues. Her reporting also focuses on policy, governance and economic developments, with a close lens on how decisions in corridors of power affect everyday lives and community well-being.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, ECs And The Power To Decide: What Happens When Election Commissioners Disagree?ECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election Commissioners123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court
Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday demanded that the findings of the judicial inquiry into last year’s deadly violence in Leh be made public, saying, “Justice must be served to Ladakh.”Wangchuk was speaking at a rally in Leh held to mark the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 agitation. A complete shutdown was observed across Leh on Thursday as part of “Shaheed Diwas” to remember the four people who were killed during the violence.“ The truth is being suppressed and hasn’t been revealed even after a year. The impression people here have is that there were attempts to incite Buddhist-Muslim communal riots long before this, and they have been happening. In that same sequence, three Muslims were appointed as magistrates to ensure a firing order was written, so that it could be blamed on Buddhists—that ‘they’ let people die. But look at their character; they refused. There was no need for such firing—to shoot people in the chest and do such things. All this will become clear when the inquiry commission’s report comes out. They must release it.”Wangchuk said that if the report was not released, people would seek an alternative mechanism to examine the events.“If you do not release the inquiry commission report, we will demand the creation of a ‘People’s Tribunal.’ We will appeal to those in our country’s justice system whose conscience is still alive—to those judges, retired judges, and all institutions—to form a People’s Tribunal, ask the people, and give your own judgment if this continues to be suppressed… We still hope that the government will provide justice to these martyrs and to Ladakh, which has saved the nation’s borders with such patriotism. Justice must be served to the martyrs. Justice must be served to Ladakh,” he added.Leh observes Shaheed DiwasMarkets, commercial establishments and business hubs remained closed across Leh, while public transport was largely off the roads as residents observed the shutdown.
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The September 24, 2025 protests were held over demands including statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, including inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.The protests later turned violent, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to several others. The administration subsequently constituted a judicial inquiry commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B S Chauhan to examine the circumstances leading to the violence, police action and the deaths.Earlier on Wednesday, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 people booked in connection with last year’s violence. The announcement came a day before the anniversary.Meanwhile, the Centre and Ladakh representatives have continued discussions over constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.
