The Ladakh administration today ordered a magisterial probe into the killing of four persons in police firing at the protestors in Leh on 24 September. However, the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) has rejected this and has demanded an impartial judicial probe into the incident.
The magisterial enquiry will be held by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Nubra, Mukul Beniwal who has been asked by the deputy commissioner, Leh, to submit the report within four weeks.
Four people were killed in police firing and several others, including policemen, injured in the violent clashes and subsequent police firing.
Beniwal, in a public notice, said the inquiry committee is charged with ascertaining facts and circumstances that led to the serious law and order situation, police action, and death of four people.
Jigmet Dorjey of Kharnak, Rinchen Dadul of Hanu, Stanzin Namgail of Igoo, and Tsewang Tharchin (former soldier) of Skurbuchan died that day in the firing by security forces.
Beniwal also urged the members of the public to visit him if they possess any information that may help him unravel the sequence of events that led to the violence.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which are spearheading the ongoing agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, have demanded a judicial enquiry.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and All Ladakh Gonpa Association, after paying tributes today morning to Mahatma Gandhi on his 156th Birth anniversary, unanimously passed a resolution seeking an impartial judicial inquiry into the “excessive” use of force and indiscriminate firing by the Ladakh Police and paramilitary forces that killed four youths and several injured. They sought adequate compensation for the kin of those “martyred” and seriously injured.
They also sought immediate release of Sonam Wangchuk, who has been detained under the NSA and lodged in the Jodhpur jail. Release of all other people arrested in Leh has also been demanded.
The resolution, that has also been signed by Chhering Dorjay Lakrook, who is co-chairman of LAB, also asked the L:adakh administration to stop “witch hunting” and harassment of innocent people.
Seven student organisations of Ladakh have in a joint memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah sought a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge into the police firing.
They have also sought immediate release of Sonam Wangchuk and other arrested people.
The student bodies have also demanded that the media houses that defamed the Ladakhi community should seek an apology from them.
The seven student unions are; All Kargil (Ladakh) Students Association, Delhi; Ladakh Students Forum JNU (LSF-JNU); All Ladakh Students Weldare Association Jammu; Student Educational Movement of Kargil; All Ladakh Student Association Kashmir and Ladakh Student Welfare Society, Aligarh.