Judicial panel records statements of 22 officials in Leh violence case

A Judicial Commission constituted to probe the September 24 violence in Leh has recorded statements of 22 officials, including personnel from the Ladakh Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and magistrates. The violence had resulted in the deaths of four local residents. The Commission was constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs following the incident and is chaired by Justice BS Chauhan, former judge of the Supreme Court, to conduct a comprehensive and impartial inquiry. Mohan Singh Parihar was appointed Judicial Secretary to the Commission, Tushar Anand as Administrative Secretary and Rigzin Spalgon as Joint Secretary.

On Tuesday, Spalgon informed that the panel conducted its proceedings from December 17 to 23 and recorded statements of CRPF personnel, magistrates and Ladakh Police officials. He further stated that the Commission has already collected and examined the written statements submitted earlier as part of the preliminary process.

The Joint Secretary said that in the next sitting, to be held in the near future, members of the public will be invited to record their statements before the Commission. He added that the dates for recording statements of individuals who have already submitted affidavits will be announced in due course.

Protest demonstrations were launched in Ladakh seeking statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule and other demands from the Central government. While the protests had remained peaceful for over three years, this was the first instance in which they turned violent, resulting in four fatalities.

The incident angered residents of Ladakh, following which the central government and Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta were criticised for allegedly mishandling the situation.

Officials assigned duties on the day of the incident were summoned by the Commission to record their statements to ascertain the facts, determine what triggered the violence, and ensure transparency and accountability.

Earlier, the Commission had expressed concern over the limited number of submissions and had urged local residents to come forward and record their statements so that all perspectives could be heard.

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Courtesy: The Tribune -24-Dec-2025