2 councillors among 8 surrender in court over Ladakh violence

Eight individuals who had been on the run following Wednesday’s violent protests in Leh surrendered before a local court on Saturday. The development comes a day after climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan.

Mustafa Haji, Legal Advisor of the Leh Apex Body (LAB)—one of the two organisations leading the ongoing agitation—told The Tribune that eight people voluntarily surrendered in court.

“Four of them were sent to police custody, and four to judicial custody,” he said, adding that among them were two sitting councillors.

He further stated that the legal process to seek bail would begin soon, “because they are all innocent.”

Ladakh Police have made several arrests in the aftermath of the violence that erupted during Wangchuk’s hunger strike. Protesters, mostly youth, torched the BJP office, the Leh Hill Council building, and several vehicles. In response, the police opened fire on demonstrators.

A curfew has remained in effect across violence-hit Leh town since Wednesday, with police and paramilitary forces stepping up patrols and security checks. Following the unrest, several of the accused went into hiding, prompting the police to launch a crackdown. A member of the Leh Apex Body confirmed that those named in the FIRs chose to surrender voluntarily before the court. Mohd Shafi Lassu, President of the Bar Association Leh, said that most of those who surrendered were youth leaders. As of Friday evening, Leh Police had arrested 39 individuals in connection with Wednesday’s incident, he added.