Ladakh to withdraw cases against 25 booked last year over September 24 violence

The Ladakh administration has announced it will file closure reports against 25 individuals booked following the Leh violence on September 24 last year. This comes after talks between representatives of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Leh Apex Body (LAB) with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in Leh. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra revealed that 87 people were initially booked, with nine having evidence against them.

The closure reports will be filed in court later. The KDA and LAB had presented a list of demands to the Centre, including financial powers for the proposed Leh Legislative Assembly, a separate Public Service Commission, and the withdrawal of cases against those affected by the September 24 violence. The meeting also involved Ladakh MP Mohammad Hanifa Jan, KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay, and MHA officials.

The incident resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries when police fired on protesters demanding statehood and protection under the Sixth Schedule. Sonam Wangchuk called off his hunger strike and was previously booked under the National Security Act, spending six months in jail. Kundra referred to the violence as "a blot on pages of India's history" and directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to review the remaining cases.

A UT-level legislative body for Ladakh is also being considered, with discussions to continue in a sub-committee meeting soon. Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss the progress of developmental initiatives and central welfare schemes in Ladakh.