SRINAGAR: The Leh Bar Association on Wednesday demanded Rs 1-crore compensation each for the families of four people killed in the September 24 firing in Leh and called for an impartial judicial inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge into the incident.“All four victims belonged to poor families. Three were young, and the fourth was an ex-serviceman who had fought for the country in the 1999 Kargil War. We expect the government to provide adequate compensation,” Bar president Mohammad Shafi Lassu said at a press conference in Leh.
“In Ladakh’s history, this is the first such incident. The deceased belonged to underprivileged sections,” Lassu said, while seeking interim cash compensation along with a government job for one member of each of the four families.He said the Bar supports the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance’s demand for a Supreme Court judge-led probe. “It would signal that the government stands for a healing touch,” he said.Lassu said arrests have continued since Sept 24. “Even today, two people were arrested. Yesterday also, two persons were taken into custody,” he said, adding that they have filed bail applications on their behalf.He said of the 39 people arrested on Sept 24, bail has been granted to 38 so far. “Subsequently, around 40 more people have been arrested, and we are pleading their cases in court.”Lassu said the Bar is appealing to the government to stop these arrests. “We are Indian nationalists. Despite that, one of our leaders, Sonam Wangchuk, was arrested and lodged in Jodhpur. It is painful for us. These arrests should stop now,” he said.On September 24, police and paramilitary forces allegedly opened fire on protesters after their demonstration turned violent, killing four people and injuring more than 70.The protesters were demanding Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh. The Sixth Schedule status, enshrined in the Indian Constitution, aims to protect the rights and distinct cultural identities of tribal populations, ensuring their self-governance through autonomous district councils (ADCs).After the violence, authorities in Leh imposed curfew-like restrictions, suspended mobile internet, and arrested more than 60 people.The protests erupted while environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, a member of the Leh Apex Body, was on a 35-day hunger strike at Martyrs’ Park that began on September 10 to press for restoration of “democratic rights.”After the clashes turned fatal, Wangchuk called off his fast. He was taken into custody on Sept 26 under the National Security Act.While the Ladakh administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the violence, the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have rejected it, reiterating their demand for a judicial probe by a retired SC judge. The two groups also withdrew from talks with the Union home ministry’s high-powered committee scheduled for October 6, seeking Wangchuk’s release and an impartial investigation.
