Delhi: Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on Friday and transported to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan. The government had previously held Wangchuk responsible for the violence that erupted in Leh two days earlier.
The specific charges leading to his arrest remain unclear. Meanwhile, internet services were suspended in Leh, where authorities imposed a curfew for the third consecutive day following September 24 violence. Educational institutions will remain closed through Saturday.
The violence broke out during demonstrations demanding full statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Four young people died in the clashes, while 80 others sustained injuries, including 40 police personnel. Authorities have arrested 60 suspects in connection with the incident.
Sonam Wangchuk arrested amid multiple investigations into funding violations
The Home Ministry revoked the foreign funding license of Wangchuk’s organization, Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). Non-governmental organisations must register under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to receive international grants or donations. Officials determined that SECMOL misused foreign funding.
The Central Bureau of Investigation launched a separate probe into another Wangchuk-affiliated NGO, the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), for alleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act violations. CBI teams are examining the organisation’s accounts and records.
Wangchuk responded to the CBI investigation, stating that authorities were supposed to examine accounts from 2022 to 2024 only. However, investigators now scrutinize records from 2020 and 2021, requesting documents from schools outside the original complaint’s scope.
Local police initially filed sedition charges against the activist. Authorities also reopened a four-year-old complaint alleging non-payment of workers’ wages. The government canceled HIAL’s land lease, claiming unpaid lease amounts, though Wangchuk maintains documentation showing the government waived fees.
The Income Tax Department issued notices despite Ladakh’s tax-exempt status. Wangchuk emphasized his voluntary tax payments but questioned the notices’ validity given the region’s special status.
Following the Leh violence, Wangchuk posted on Twitter using the phrase ‘GenZ Revolution.’ When confronted by reporter Vaibhav Palnitkar during Friday’s press conference, Wangchuk initially denied the statement and accused the journalist of spreading false news. After Palnitkar played the video clip during the conference, Wangchuk’s voice reportedly faltered.
