Ladakh cops probe Wangchuk’s Pak ‘links’; curfew relaxed in Leh for 4 hrs

Ladakh DGP SD Singh Jamwal on Saturday said detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is being probed for alleged links with an arrested Pakistani spy even as the UT administration relaxed the curfew for four hours, the reprieve coming for the first time since the Wednesday clashes that left four persons dead and nearly 100 injured.

Addressing a press conference here, Jamwal said Wangchuk, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday and shifted to Jodhpur jail, was being investigated under multiple counts. “Let me tell you on this platform that we recently arrested a Pakistan intelligence operative who was in touch with him (Wangchuk) and sending inputs about him across the border. The police have a record of it,” the DGP said.

The police chief further said that Wangchuk had attended a Dawn event in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh.

“So, there is a big question mark on him. Different agencies are looking into these matters,” he said, accusing the activist of “provoking people over a period of time”. “He was drawing parallels with the Arab Spring movement and the protests in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He has his own agenda. His foreign funding is also under investigation,” said Jamwal.

The DGP, referring to Wangchuk as “so-called environmental activist”, said “such violence had happened for the first time in Ladakh’s history”.

Meanwhile, authorities briefly relaxed the curfew in Leh town, allowing residents to stock up on groceries and other essentials. Markets witnessed heavy rush, leading to traffic snarls at several points. However, the streets were empty again once the relaxation ended.

A senior police official told The Tribune that the situation remained peaceful, with tight security in place ever since the protests demanding statehood and the Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent on Wednesday.

Four days on, Leh still bears the scars of the violence. Once bustling with tourists, its streets are now lined with barbed wire and paramilitary personnel. The first checkpoint has been put up nearly a kilometre away from Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport where security personnel are checking the identity of commuters.

“Bundhs were seen earlier too, but never a situation like this,” said a Leh woman, who is into tourism. She recounted being stopped multiple times by paramilitary personnel while returning to Leh from Panchgok on Friday. “I have never seen my town like this,” she said.

The curfew has taken a toll on tourism and business. “This would otherwise have been the peak tourist season in Leh. Now, all one can see is barbed wires and barricades guarded by paramilitary forces. It’s a scary scene,” said Dr Ishey Namgyal, general secretary of Ladakh Buddhist Association.