Dubbing Sonam Wangchuk as the key conspirator behind Wednesday's unprecedented violence in Leh town, Ladakh, Director General of Police (DGP) S.D. Singh Jamwal said on Saturday that authorities are investigating the arrested climate activist's alleged links with forces across the border.
Addressing a press conference to share details about the unfortunate incident of September 24, in which four civilians lost their lives, Singh disclosed that in August, Ladakh Police had arrested a Pakistani intelligence operative who had sent videos of Wangchuk's protests across the border.
"As the investigations are at a very initial stage, I will not share more details about Sonam Wangchuk's links across the border. One thing I can share is that we are probing his connections with the arrested Pakistani intelligence operative," the DGP said.
Defending the authorities' decision to shift Wangchuk to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan, the DGP alleged that the climate activist had long been attempting to derail the ongoing dialogue between the agitating groups of Ladakh and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"As September 25 and 26 were fixed for preliminary talks ahead of the dialogue on October 6, it appears that September 24 was intentionally chosen as the day of protest to create mayhem in Leh," the DGP said.
"When the dates for talks at different stages were already fixed, there was no reason for Wangchuk to continue his hunger strike," he added. "Instead of facilitating the dialogue process, Wangchuk instigated people by invoking the Arab Spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka."
The DGP further alleged that Wangchuk was pursuing his own agenda to hijack the ongoing agitation in Ladakh, thereby creating hurdles in the dialogue process.
Three Nepalese Citizens Injured During Wednesday's Protest
The DGP informed that three Nepalese citizens were admitted to hospital with bullet injuries, and the involvement of some others has also come to light. He said that, in all, 50 people have been taken into custody in connection with Wednesday's violence, with at least a dozen suspected to be ringleaders.
Forces Fired in Self-Defence
Defending the firing by security forces, the DGP said that an uncontrolled mob of about 5,000–6,000 people damaged government buildings and offices. Forces were deployed to protect the office of the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Leh, where a large number of employees were working.
After resorting to heavy stone pelting, the mob attempted to set the CEC office on fire after burning the BJP office, where four female constables of the Ladakh Police were trapped. Amid heavy stone pelting, security forces managed to rescue the four constables.
"Our officers in the CEC building were also attacked. CRPF officers were beaten up. One of them is seriously injured and has been admitted to the hospital," the DGP said.
"To stop the situation from further worsening, forces opened fire, which unfortunately led to four deaths. On the first day, 32 people were severely injured; later, we found that 70–80 security personnel and an equal number of civilians had been injured. Seven of them were critical, and one woman was airlifted to Delhi for treatment," he added.
