On 24 September 2025 a shutdown in Leh called to back Ladakh's demand for statehood and Sixth Schedule protection turned violent. Protesters set fire to the BJP office, and police fired on the crowd, killing four people. Two days later climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act. He was held for about 170 days and released on 14 March 2026. A year on, the judicial inquiry report is still unpublished, and talks on a new Article 371(K) safeguard are set for 15 October 2026 in Leh.
Key takeaways
- The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance demand statehood for Ladakh, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, a Ladakh public service commission and two Lok Sabha seats.
- Four people were killed when police fired on protesters in Leh on 24 September 2025, after the BJP office and the Leh hill council executive's office were set on fire: Tsewang Tharchin, Jigmet Dorjay, Stanzin Namgyal and Rinchen Dadul.
- The Home Ministry said police fired "in self-defence" in Leh on 24 September 2025 after a mob "instigated by" Sonam Wangchuk's speeches injured more than 30 police and CRPF personnel, while the Leh Apex Body said fire was opened on peaceful protesters "without any provocation".
- Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act on 26 September 2025 and released on 14 March 2026 when the Home Ministry revoked the detention, and the Supreme Court closed his case without ruling on whether it was legal.
- Ladakh DGP S.D. Singh Jamwal alleged in September 2025 that Sonam Wangchuk had Pakistan links, citing an unnamed arrested "operative", but no evidence was made public and the Centre did not rely on any foreign link in the Supreme Court.
- The judicial inquiry into the Leh firing under former Supreme Court judge B.S. Chauhan had examined 93 witnesses by May 2026, but its report remained unpublished in October 2026.
- The Home Ministry scheduled talks with Ladakh's leaders for 15 October 2026 in Leh on a proposed Article 371(K) safeguard, which officials say would be a special constitutional framework, not statehood.
Background: why Ladakh is protesting
In August 2019 Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. From 31 October 2019 Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature, run directly by the Centre through a Lieutenant Governor Wikipedia.
Two coalitions lead the movement: the Leh Apex Body (LAB) in Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in Kargil. They press four demands Al Jazeera:
- Full statehood for Ladakh, with an elected legislature.
- Inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
- A separate public service commission for local jobs.
- Two Lok Sabha seats instead of one.
The Sixth Schedule provides for autonomous district and regional councils in specified tribal areas. These councils have constitutionally defined legislative, administrative and financial powers, including over land revenue and taxation Business Standard.
Documented The BJP promised Sixth Schedule inclusion during the 2020 Leh hill council election Wikipedia. A High-Powered Committee under the Home Ministry (MHA) was formed in January 2023. Nine rounds of talks through March 2024 ended without agreement on the core demands. Talks in March and May 2025 produced draft rules on 85% local reservation in jobs, a 15-year domicile rule, 33% reservation for women in hill councils and five official languages.
Sonam Wangchuk's fasts and marches
Sonam Wangchuk is an engineer, educator and climate activist who founded the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). The LAB and KDA lead the formal negotiations, but Wangchuk became the movement's most visible face through a series of fasts Brut.
- January 2023: a five-day fast in sub-zero temperatures in Ladakh.
- 6 to 26 March 2024: a 21-day "Climate Fast" in Leh for Sixth Schedule status and statehood, with a focus on Ladakh's ecology.
- September to October 2024: a "Delhi Chalo" padyatra from Leh, organised by the LAB and KDA, that began on 1 September and was meant to end at Rajghat on 2 October. On 30 September police detained Wangchuk and about 150 marchers at the Singhu border under prohibitory orders, and the detainees began a fast in police stations Scroll.
- From 10 September 2025: the LAB began a planned 35-day hunger strike with 15 participants, and Wangchuk also fasted Wikipedia. This is the fast that ended in the Leh violence.
On 20 September 2025 the Centre scheduled the next High-Powered Committee meeting for 6 October. Wangchuk rejected that as "unilateral" and too late Wikipedia. On 23 September two of the hunger strikers were taken to hospital, and the LAB's youth wing called a shutdown of Leh for the next day.
How 24 September 2025 turned violent
Few reports give exact times. Where accounts differ, both are given.
Shutdown called
After two hunger strikers are hospitalised, the LAB youth wing calls a shutdown and urges people to gather at the hunger-strike site. A Chushul councillor, Konchok Stanzin, later said the administration did not ensure adequate security or impose prohibitory orders Reach Ladakh.
Crowd gathers at NDS ground
Anonymous youth participants estimated 1,000 to 1,500 people at the protest ground. This figure is unverified Deccan Herald.
The trigger, in two versions
Claim · Participants Youths carrying tricolours argued with CRPF personnel outside the park, tear-smoke shells were fired, and the violence that followed was "spontaneous" Deccan Herald. Councillor Stanzin also says forces used tear gas first Reach Ladakh. Government's position At about 11:30 am a mob "instigated by his provocative speeches" left the hunger-strike venue ETV Bharat.
Offices set on fire
Documented The BJP office and the office of the Chief Executive Councillor of the Leh hill council were set on fire, and a police vehicle was burned HRW. Stones were thrown, and police used tear gas and lathi charges ThePrint.
Police open fire
Documented Police fired live rounds. Four people were killed: Tsewang Tharchin (46), Jigmet Dorjay (25), Stanzin Namgyal (23) and Rinchen Dadul (20) ThePrint. Witnesses told local media there was no prior warning Reach Ladakh.
Fast ends, curfew imposed
Wangchuk ended his fast and appealed for peace HRW. A curfew and a mobile internet shutdown followed in Leh, and at least 50 people were reportedly detained.
Kargil shuts down, FCRA licence cancelled
The KDA called a shutdown in Kargil, and curfew covered Leh, Kargil and other areas Wikipedia. The MHA cancelled SECMOL's foreign-funding licence the same day ThePrint.
Wangchuk detained under the NSA
Police detained Wangchuk shortly before a press briefing he had called and moved him to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan Al Jazeera Outlook.
Tsewang Tharchin was a retired Ladakh Scouts soldier who fought in the 1999 Kargil war. His father told ThePrint that his son "fought the war, but died by police bullets" ThePrint.
Injury figures vary by source. The MHA said more than 30 police and CRPF personnel were hurt ETV Bharat. Local reporting put the total at about 90 Reach Ladakh, and Outlook later used 80 Outlook.
Both accounts of the firing
Protesters' and LAB's account
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay said "the fire was opened on the peaceful protesters without any provocation" and without a magistrate's order. The LAB has asked the inquiry to examine post-mortem reports, the bullet count, the type of ammunition and CCTV footage. It questioned why some police personnel were sent for medical examination several days later, and convener Gelek Phunchok said this suggested "an intention on the part of the authorities to cover up" Outlook.
Police and government account
The MHA said a mob instigated by Wangchuk's speeches attacked a political party office and the CEC's office, set them on fire, attacked security personnel and burned a police vehicle. It said more than 30 police and CRPF personnel were injured and that police fired "in self-defence", which resulted in "some casualties" ETV Bharat.
Human Rights Watch urged the authorities to "exercise restraint and impartially investigate" HRW.
The government's case against Wangchuk
Government's position On 24 September the MHA said Wangchuk had kept fasting despite requests to stop and was "misleading the people through provocative mention of Arab Spring-style protest" and references to the Gen Z protests in Nepal ETV Bharat. Wangchuk denied inciting anyone. He said the violence reflected local anger at New Delhi, and he had appealed for calm Al Jazeera.
In the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Wangchuk's Gandhian references were a cover. He said Wangchuk encouraged youth towards Nepal- or Bangladesh-style unrest in a sensitive border region, cited the Arab Spring and referred to self-immolation as a form of protest LiveLaw.
The FCRA cancellation
Documented The MHA cancelled SECMOL's registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act by an order dated 25 September 2025. The reasons it gave involved sums of a few lakh rupees or less ThePrint:
- ₹4.93 lakh from Future Earth for a study on youth migration and food security, which the ministry said violated the Act.
- A ₹3.35 lakh cash deposit from the sale of an FCRA-funded bus that was not credited to the FCRA account.
- Three local deposits of ₹18,200 each into the FCRA account, a ₹19,600 refund to a donor, and ₹79,200 of foreign funds placed in a local account in 2020-21.
SECMOL said the bus money came from selling an old bus and the ₹18,200 payments were volunteers' fees sent to the wrong account. The MHA found its replies unsatisfactory. Wangchuk called the cancellation "a punishment" ThePrint. The CBI also opened an inquiry into alleged foreign-funding violations at an institution he founded HRW.
The Pakistan-link claims and the evidence
Claim · Ladakh DGP S.D. Singh Jamwal At a press conference on 27 September 2025 the DGP said police had "recently arrested a Pakistan intelligence operative who was in touch with him" and was passing information about him across the border. He said Wangchuk had attended a Dawn event in Pakistan and visited Bangladesh, that "there is a big question mark on him", and that his foreign funding was under investigation Tribune.
The only evidence cited for the operative claim was that "the police have a record of it." The operative was not named, and no charge sheet linking him to Wangchuk has been reported Tribune.
Claim · Gitanjali Angmo Wangchuk's wife called the claim "absolutely wrong and false". She said the couple attended a climate conference on glaciers held by the UN and Dawn Media in February 2025 and asked whether attending such an event makes someone an ISI agent Tribune.
No evidence No evidence of a Pakistan link was made public. In the Supreme Court hearings, the Centre's case rested on Wangchuk's speeches and videos, not on any foreign contact LiveLaw. When the MHA revoked the detention, it gave time served and the need for dialogue as its reasons. It did not mention a foreign link Newslaundry.
Fact-checkers also found false content on both sides of the dispute:
- False A clip shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya on 24 September, said to show Wangchuk telling protesters to wear masks and caps, came from an 8 September video. In it Wangchuk invited people to an interfaith prayer meeting and suggested masks because of COVID-19 risk in a large crowd Alt News.
- False A video in which the DGP appeared to say Wangchuk was arrested on the Defence Minister's orders without evidence used an altered voice track BOOM.
- False A March 2024 clip of Wangchuk supposedly backing a Chinese invasion cut out that he was repeating a comedian's line BOOM.
The Congress councillor claim
Claim · Amit Malviya (BJP) Malviya posted a video and photos on X identifying a man as Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, the Congress councillor for Upper Leh, and said he was leading the mob at the BJP office and hill council. He asked whether this was "the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about" ThePrint.
Leh SSP Stanzin Norboo The SSP told ThePrint that the man in the video was not Tsepag and appeared to be a civilian. He said police had found no direct participation by Congress leaders in the rioting and arson so far. He also said Congress councillors, including Tsepag, had made fiery speeches that police saw as the immediate trigger ThePrint.
Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, backed Ladakh's demands and called for a judicial inquiry ETV Bharat.
Wangchuk's NSA detention in the Supreme Court
Angmo filed a habeas corpus petition in early October 2025, and the Supreme Court issued notice on 6 October. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale heard it LiveLaw.
The petitioner's case. Kapil Sibal argued that Wangchuk does not appear in the four videos used to justify the detention, that they were never properly supplied to him, and that the videos relied on dated from May and June 2025, months before the order Scroll. He said Wangchuk's 24 September appeal for peace was not placed before the detaining authority, and alleged mistranslation of speeches LiveLaw.
The Centre's case. The Solicitor General said review of preventive detention is limited to procedure and the video complaint was an "afterthought" LiveLaw.
The bench's questions. The court asked whether Wangchuk had actually seen the videos and ordered the pendrive given to him sealed. It questioned the accuracy of the Centre's translations, saying a 3 to 4 minute speech should not be translated as 10 minutes. Justice Kumar said the Centre was reading "too much into" the speeches. On 4 February 2026, after a medical report, Justice Varale asked: "Is there any possibility for the Government to rethink?" The Centre declined to release him on health grounds LiveLaw.
Release. On 14 March 2026, three days before the next hearing, the MHA revoked the detention "with immediate effect". It said Wangchuk had "already undergone nearly half of the period of detention" and that the move would create an "environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust" for dialogue Newslaundry. On 23 March the bench closed the petition as infructuous. It made no ruling on whether the detention was lawful NewsGram The Wire.
Talks with the Centre
On 30 September 2025 the LAB withdrew from talks, citing a negative campaign against the movement and demanding an inquiry and the release of detainees. The KDA followed. Their position was that "talks cannot be held at gunpoint" Scroll Wikipedia. On 17 October the MHA ordered a judicial inquiry under former Supreme Court judge B.S. Chauhan, and the two bodies returned to talks on 22 October Wikipedia.
- 4 Feb 2026: talks held, inconclusive Wikipedia.
- 14 Mar 2026: Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa welcomed Wangchuk's release and urged the Centre to accept the demands Deccan Herald.
- 30 Apr to 1 May 2026: Home Minister Amit Shah visited Ladakh and met local leaders Wikipedia.
- 22 May 2026: with Wangchuk in the delegation, the sides reached an "in-principle understanding" on safeguards modelled on Articles 371A, 371F and 371G, which cover Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram Tribune.
- 9 Sept 2026: the LAB and KDA had warned of a bigger agitation if this round failed Tribune. Afterwards they called it a "non-starter", saying the MHA brought no draft and mainly wanted their padyatra postponed. Wangchuk said the meeting was so unproductive no minutes could be prepared Tribune.
Accounts of the 9 September meeting differ. Both sides agreed on a directly elected UT-level body under Article 371, but its powers, including over law and order, were unresolved. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said such a body "could not be created overnight". LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said: "They just want to tire us out" NewsDrum. Former LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang called the talks "fruitful" and opposed fresh agitation, which shows a split within Leh's leadership Daily Excelsior.
Article 371(K) does not exist yet. It would need a constitutional amendment, and it would not give Ladakh statehood. Business Standard describes it as a possible middle ground between the current Union Territory model and full statehood Business Standard.
The first anniversary
A planned Kargil to Leh padyatra was dropped over cold weather Greater Kashmir. Instead, on 23 September 2026 he led a 20 km march from Kharu, a similar march was held in Kargil, and a "martyrs day" event followed on 24 September ETV Bharat.
The administration announced ₹15 lakh for each family of the dead, ₹3 lakh for major injuries and ₹1 lakh for minor injuries. Wangchuk called the amount an insult to those killed ETV Bharat. On 27 September he asked who ordered the firing.
Let the report come. Let the people know the truth.
Sonam Wangchuk, press statement, 27 Sept 2026 (Outlook)
Outcome so far
- Deaths: 4 killed in police firing on 24 Sept 2025. No action against the personnel who fired has been reported in the sources reviewed.
- Arrests: 87 people named as accused and 81 arrested. The administration approved withdrawing cases against 20, according to Wangchuk Outlook.
- Detention: Wangchuk held under the NSA from 26 Sept 2025 to 14 Mar 2026. The Supreme Court never ruled on legality.
- Inquiry: The Chauhan commission had examined 93 witnesses by May 2026 and extended its deadlines at the LAB's request. Its report is unpublished Outlook.
- Compensation: ₹15 lakh per family of the dead, ₹3 lakh for major injuries and ₹1 lakh for minor injuries. Wangchuk calls it inadequate.
- FCRA: SECMOL's licence was cancelled on 25 Sept 2025. No reversal has been reported.
What is still pending
The MHA has scheduled the next round of talks for 15 October 2026 in Leh. Its panel is expected to present a draft of Article 371(K) safeguards. These would give an elected body powers over land, culture, language, forests, natural resources and the environment, through a constitutional amendment ETV Bharat. The LAB wants an assembly on the Puducherry model, including control of home and police.
The LAB and KDA also want the 2025 cases withdrawn and the inquiry report published Tribune. If consensus is reached, a bill could go to Parliament, possibly in the Winter Session Tribune. Chief Secretary Kundra has said the proposed arrangement would be a special constitutional framework, not statehood Tribune.
Questions people ask
What are Ladakh's demands?
The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance want statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, a Ladakh public service commission and two Lok Sabha seats. Since 2026 the talks have focused on a new Article 371(K) safeguard and an elected UT-level body.
How many people died in the Leh violence?
Four people were killed when police fired on 24 September 2025: Tsewang Tharchin, Jigmet Dorjay, Stanzin Namgyal and Rinchen Dadul. Tharchin was a Kargil war veteran.
Why was Sonam Wangchuk arrested?
He was detained under the National Security Act on 26 September 2025. The Centre said his speeches, which mentioned the Arab Spring and Nepal's Gen Z protests, incited the violence. He denies this.
Did Sonam Wangchuk have links to Pakistan?
The Ladakh DGP alleged links, citing an unnamed arrested "operative" and Wangchuk's attendance at a UN and Dawn climate event in Pakistan. No evidence was made public, and the Centre did not rely on any foreign link in the Supreme Court.
Did the Supreme Court rule on Wangchuk's detention?
No. The bench questioned the Centre's translations and how the speeches linked to the violence, but the detention was revoked before judgment. On 23 March 2026 the court closed the case as infructuous without deciding whether it was legal.
Was a Congress councillor behind the Leh violence?
BJP's Amit Malviya said a video showed Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag leading the mob. Leh's SSP said the man in the video was not Tsepag and that police found no direct Congress role in the arson, though he said councillors' speeches were a trigger.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ladakh protests (citing The Hindu, Reuters, Indian Express, TOI), accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Al Jazeera: Indian police arrest Ladakh activist after deadly protests, 26 Sept 2025
- Business Standard: What is Article 371(K) and what could it mean for Ladakh?, 11 Sept 2026
- Brut: Every time Sonam Wangchuk went on hunger strike, July 2026
- Scroll: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, supporters detained at Delhi border, 1 Oct 2024
- Reach Ladakh: September 24, 2025: gunfire shatters Ladakh's peace, 2025
- Deccan Herald: Youths in Leh say protest violence was spontaneous, Sept 2025
- ETV Bharat: Centre blames Sonam Wangchuk for Leh violence, 24 Sept 2025
- Human Rights Watch: India: 4 dead in protests over Ladakh statehood, 25 Sept 2025
- ThePrint: Stone pelting, tear gas, lathi charge: Ladakh on edge, 24 Sept 2025
- ThePrint: He fought in Kargil but died by police bullets, 26 Sept 2025
- ThePrint: FCRA licence of Wangchuk's SECMOL cancelled, 25 Sept 2025
- ThePrint: Ladakh cops deny direct role of Congress councillor in violence, Sept 2025
- Outlook: Ladakhi groups allege cover-up, blame security forces for civilian deaths, 2025-26
- Outlook: Leh violence judicial inquiry: 93 witnesses examined, 9 May 2026
- Outlook: Sonam Wangchuk seeks judicial inquiry report, 27 Sept 2026
- Tribune: Ladakh cops probe Wangchuk's Pak links, 27 Sept 2025
- Tribune: Wangchuk's wife refutes Pakistan-link allegations, 30 Sept 2025
- LiveLaw: Centre to Supreme Court: Wangchuk was instigating Nepal-like Gen Z protest, 2 Feb 2026
- LiveLaw: How the Supreme Court dealt with Wangchuk's detention, Mar 2026
- Scroll: Wangchuk not seen in videos relied upon to detain him, lawyer tells Supreme Court, 13 Jan 2026
- Newslaundry: Centre revokes Sonam Wangchuk's NSA detention with immediate effect, 14 Mar 2026
- NewsGram: SC closes plea challenging Wangchuk's detention under NSA, 23 Mar 2026
- The Wire: Release before judgment, Mar 2026
- Alt News: Malviya shares clipped Wangchuk video out of context, 1 Oct 2025
- BOOM: Viral Ladakh DGP video uses altered voice, 30 Sept 2025
- BOOM: Wangchuk "supports China invasion" clip is misleading, Oct 2025
- Scroll: Centre orders judicial probe into Leh violence that killed four, 17 Oct 2025
- Deccan Herald: Ladakh leaders welcome Wangchuk's release, 14 Mar 2026
- Tribune: Leh Apex Body warns of intensified agitation if Sept 9 talks fail, 6 Sept 2026
- Tribune: Ladakh groups express disappointment over MHA talks, 11 Sept 2026
- NewsDrum: Consensus on elected body for Ladakh but key questions unresolved, 11 Sept 2026
- Daily Excelsior: MHA talks fruitful, Ladakh leader opposes fresh agitation, 12 Sept 2026
- Greater Kashmir: Ladakh leaders call off padyatra to mark Sep 24 Leh incident, 20 Sept 2026
- ETV Bharat: Wangchuk leads 20-km march to mark first anniversary, 23 Sept 2026
- Tribune: Leh Apex Body seeks concrete roadmap ahead of next talks, 4 Oct 2026
- ETV Bharat: MHA schedules Ladakh talks on Article 371K in Leh on October 15, 8 Oct 2026