Judicial panel lands in Leh, to meet victims’ families on October 26

The commission will remain in the Leh till Tuesday and will record statements of all the victim families and other officials

The judicial commission headed by (retired) Supreme Court judge on Saturday landed in Leh to start the inquiry into the September 24 violent clashes in the area. The commission will start the probe from October 26.

Apart from four deaths, nearly 100 others, including police and paramilitary personnel, were injured on September 24

The Centre on October 17 moved to address a key demand of protesting Ladakh groups by announcing a judicial inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge into the Leh clashes, which claimed the lives of four people, including a 1999 Kargil war veteran.

The commission will remain in the Leh from Saturday till Tuesday and will record statements of all the victim families and other officials. Officials said that the commission will visit the spots where violence took place and interact with the locals and members of the Leh Apex Body and the government officials.

“The judicial inquiry regarding September 24, 2025, created in Leh town shall be held at Alternate Dispute Redressal Centre Melongthan from October 25 to 28,” reads the order issued by consultant department of law and justice.

MHA has appointed Dr Justice BS Chauhan (retd. Judge, Supreme Court) to conduct a judicial inquiry into the 24 Sept Leh law & order incident that led to four deaths. He is being assisted by Mohan Singh Parihar (retd. dist. & sessions Judge) and Tushar Anand, an IAS officer.

Apart from four deaths, nearly 100 others, including police and paramilitary personnel, were injured on September 24 when the protesters went on a rampage, vandalising buildings and setting a BJP office and a police vehicle on fire. The clashes had erupted over the demands of statehood and sixth schedule on the 15th day of the hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been booked under NSA and incarcerated in Jodhpur jail. The Centre has blamed Wangchuk for instigating the violence.

The Union Territory of Ladakh was created on August 5, 2019 after the Centre effectively abrogated Article 370, which used to bestow special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and split the erstwhile state into two UTs – J&K with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without one. In February 2024, thousands protested in Delhi, Leh and other parts of Ladakh demanding statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.