Judicial Inquiry Launched into Ladakh Protest Killings: Former Supreme Court Judge to Lead Investigation

Ladakh has experienced increasing discontent against direct central administration over the past four years.

The central government has announced a judicial investigation into the fatal police shooting of four protesters in Ladakh last month. A former Supreme Court judge has been appointed to investigate the circumstances that resulted in the police firing and the deaths of four individuals, including a Kargil war veteran.

A judicial inquiry led by a top court judge was among the primary demands of Ladakhi organizations advocating for statehood and special constitutional protections for the region.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), retired Supreme Court judge, Justice BS Chauhan, has been designated to investigate the September 24 incident in Leh.

"On 24.09.2025, a serious law and order situation developed in Leh town, resulting in police action leading to the unfortunate death of four individuals. To ensure an impartial inquiry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, today, notified a Judicial Inquiry to be conducted by Dr Justice BS Chauhan into the circumstances leading to the serious law and order situation, the police action and the resultant unfortunate death of the four individuals," the MHA stated.

The Home Ministry emphasized that the Government has consistently been open to dialogue. "We will continue to welcome discussion with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the High Powered Committee on Ladakh or any such platform. We are confident that continuous dialogue will yield the desired results in the near future. The Government stands committed to the aspiration of the people of Ladakh," the statement further noted.

Following the violence in Leh, the MHA had directly accused activist Sonam Wangchuk of "instigating the mob through his provocative speech." Wangchuk had been on a 15-day hunger strike demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. Shortly after violence erupted in Leh, Wangchuk ended his hunger strike. He was subsequently detained under the National Security Act and is currently imprisoned in Jodhpur jail.

Over the past four years, Ladakh has witnessed growing unrest against direct central governance. Residents have consistently called for statehood and constitutional protections to safeguard their land, culture, and resources.

Ladakh was established as a separate Union Territory in August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Many in Leh, including Wangchuk, initially welcomed this change. However, within a year, concerns began to increase regarding what residents described as a political vacuum under the Lieutenant Governor's administration.

This dissatisfaction led to widespread protests and hunger strikes. For the first time, political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil united under a joint platform: the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

In response, the Centre established a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands. However, multiple rounds of discussions produced no breakthrough. In March this year, Ladakhi representatives met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

The talks, however, collapsed as Ladakhi leaders reported that the Home Minister had rejected their fundamental demands.