Ladakh Director General of Police (DGP) S. D. Singh Jamwal announced Saturday that activist Sonam Wangchuk is being investigated for alleged links with Pakistan, citing the recent arrest of a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) who was reportedly sending videos of Wangchuk’s protests across the border.
The announcement follows Wangchuk’s detention on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and subsequent transfer to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
DGP Jamwal explicitly named Wangchuk as the “key person behind Wednesday’s violence” in Leh, which claimed four lives and left scores of people injured.
Allegations of Instigation and Foreign Links
The police chief detailed the grounds for the heightened scrutiny against the activist and his organizations:
- Instigation: Jamwal accused Wangchuk of instigating the violence by making inflammatory speeches that referenced the “Arab Spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.” The DGP stated, “His speech worked as instigation… He had his own agenda.”
- Pakistan Links: The most serious allegation centers on the alleged cross-border connection. Jamwal confirmed, “We have a PIO with us who was reporting across the border, sending videos of the protests led by Wangchuk.”
- Suspicious Foreign Visits: The DGP also pointed to Wangchuk’s international travel, noting, “He attended an event by The Dawn in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh,” and termed these visits “suspicious.”
- FCRA Violations: An ongoing probe is looking into alleged “foreign funding, violation of FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act]” against Wangchuk.
Jamwal maintained that ongoing investigations prevent him from disclosing all findings at this moment, but he suggested the activist’s public profile and history were part of the context for the probe.
Accusation of Sabotaging Dialogue
Wangchuk has been the leading figure in the agitation spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which are demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
However, DGP Jamwal accused Wangchuk of attempting to “hijack the platform and tried to scupper the dialogue” between the Centre and Ladakh representatives. He noted that Wangchuk continued his hunger strike, which served as the backdrop to the violence, even though an informal meeting was scheduled to take place on September 25.
“Just a day before the informal meeting, a deliberate attempt was made to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere through provocative videos and statements which culminated with violence on Wednesday and unfortunate deaths,” Jamwal asserted.
Post-Violence Arrests and Conspiracy Angle
Regarding the tragic violence on Wednesday, which saw the burning of vehicles and attacks on property, the DGP confirmed that 50 people have been taken into custody, with “at least half-a-dozen of them are suspected to be ringleaders.”
The police chief also commented on Lt. Governor Kavinder Gupta’s remarks about a foreign conspiracy in the violence, revealing that three Nepal citizens were admitted to the hospital with bullet injuries following the clashes, suggesting the potential involvement of others.
“Obviously, Wangchuk, who was the main instigator, has been lodged in an outside jail,” the DGP concluded. The Centre is scheduled to hold a fresh round of talks with the Ladakh leaders on October 6.