Ladakh LG Approves Withdrawal of Cases Against 20 Booked in Leh Violence

The Ladakh administration has approved the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 people booked in connection with the violence that broke out in Leh city on September 24 last year, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced on Thursday.

In a post on X, Saxena said the decision was taken in the larger interest of peace, public tranquillity and social harmony in Ladakh. He said a comprehensive review had led the Ladakh police to recommend a closure report for the 20 individuals in FIR no. 144/2005 registered at Leh police station under section 360 of the BNSS.

The Lieutenant Governor said the step would allow the 20 individuals to move forward with their lives and careers, and that the administration had chosen justice and healing over prolonged litigation. He thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his guidance and sympathetic approach towards the victims and their families.

The announcement follows a decision a day earlier by the Ladakh administration to file closure reports against some of those booked after the violence. That decision came after representatives of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) met officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Leh.

It also comes days after the Centre proposed a constitutional provision, Article 371(K), to extend additional protections to Ladakh during a meeting of the sub-committee with the MHA earlier this month. The quashing of cases has been a key demand of Ladakh's representatives in their ongoing talks with the ministry.

The move precedes a 20-km march that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is set to lead to mark the anniversary of the civilian killings. On Wednesday, the KDA and LAB submitted a list of non-negotiables to the Centre, including financial powers for the proposed elected Ladakh Legislative Assembly, a separate Public Service Commission for jobs in the Union Territory, and the unconditional withdrawal of all cases against those affected by the violence.

Four protesters were killed and 44 injured when police opened fire after a protest demanding statehood and the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh turned violent on September 24 last year. Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike at the time, was booked under the National Security Act and held in Jodhpur jail for six months.