Sonam Wangchuk Tried To Derail Talks, Had Pakistan Links, Claims Ladakh DGP

Four days after unprecedented violence rocked Leh, Ladakh’s Director General of Police (DGP), SD Singh Jamwal, held a press conference on Saturday, leveling explosive allegations against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk . The DGP claimed Wangchuk attempted to derail talks with the Centre, had links to a Pakistani intelligence operative, and that his “provocative” speeches were directly responsible for the September 24 clashes that left four people dead and over 80 injured .

Addressing the media amid a continuing curfew, Jamwal defended the detention of Wangchuk under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), calling it a necessary step to restore peace . He detailed how a mob of nearly 7,000 people pelted stones, attacked a BJP office, and mercilessly beat security personnel, leaving one CRPF jawan in critical condition . “No one anticipated this kind of violence,” Jamwal said, calling the incident unprecedented in Ladakh’s peaceful history .

Jamwal alleged that Wangchuk and other “so-called activists” deliberately tried to sabotage the ongoing dialogue between Ladakhi groups and the Centre over statehood and Sixth Schedule demands . He further claimed that a Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) who was “reporting” on Wangchuk has been detained with incriminating material, and that Wangchuk’s own past visits to Pakistan and foreign funding were now under investigation . “He has a history of instigation,” the DGP said, citing Wangchuk’s references to the Arab Spring and other protests .

Wangchuk was formally arrested on Friday and has been lodged in a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan . The UT administration has justified the detention, stating his speeches were “prejudicial to the maintenance of public order” . So far, 44 people, including alleged ringleaders of the violence, have been arrested as raids continue to nab other rioters . The violence, which also saw three women police personnel narrowly escape a building fire set by the mob, has left Ladakh on edge, with heavy security deployment and a fragile peace prevailing under curfew