Leh Apex Body submit statements before the judicial panel
LAB seeks strict action against guilty security personnel
Statements of CRPF, Magistrates and Ladakh Police also recorded
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) which led the protests for the statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh in September this year has submitted its statements before the judicial panel probing the circumstances surrounding the death of four people and injuries to several others. It said that attempts were being made to cover up the involvement of security force personnel who opened direct fire on peaceful demonstration leading to the killings.
The LAB has alleged that the youth who had no role in the violence were framed in false cases. While this view has also been taken by the Congress party and Anjuman-e-Moin-ul-Islam, an Islamic organization in Leh, the LAB has sought strict action against the security force personnel involved in the firing. It has noted in a written submission that some police personnel were hospitalized several days after the September 24 violence, which has raised “questions on the timing and the intention of a presenting these police personnel for medical examination” seeking that this should be “thoroughly investigated to rule out any attempt to fabricate or exaggerate any counter claims of injury.”
LAB is engaged in talks with New Delhi over its demands for statehood and protection of local land and jobs under the Sixth Schedule. It had earlier rejected a magisterial probe into the Leh violence, prompting the Central government to announce an inquiry by former judge B.S. Chauhan.
LAB leaders have noted that people were fired upon without the magistrate's orders and have submitted to the judicial panel that their deposition should “form integral and non-negotiable components of the credible enquiry and any omission or oversight in these matters would seriously undermine the faith in the judicial process.”
On December 23, the Ladakh administration said in a statement that the Judicial Inquiry Commission has recorded statements of CRPF, Magistrates and Ladakh Police and the Commission has already collected and examined “written statements submitted earlier as part of the preliminary process.”
“In the next sitting to be held in the near future, the public will be called to record their statements before the Commission. The dates for recording statements of individuals who have already submitted their affidavits will be announced in due course,” the statement read.
Earlier on September 24, hundreds of people marched on the streets of Leh town and during their protests for the statehood violence erupted in the town, resulting in the death of four civilians and injuries to several others. In the clashes between the youth and the security force personnel, the BJP office in Leh was torched, while the government offices, including the building of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) were also damaged.
Co-chairman of the LAB Chering Dorjay says that 50 people from their organisation have deposed before the judicial commission, and sought action against officials allegedly involved in disproportionate use of force on the peaceful protesters. He notes that the fire was opened directly on protesters without the orders of the magistrate, which was required under the law. “The fire was opened on the peaceful protesters without any provocation, and we have sought action against security force personnel who were involved in this,” he says.
The LAB has also demanded that the “medico-legal” case reports of the injured civilians who were hospitalised should be taken into account, besides the post-mortem reports and the CCTV footage of the protest, apart from the bullet count and the type of ammunition that was used to disperse the mob.
Gelek Phunchok, LAB convener, says that the admission of the police personnel at the local hospital was made days after the protests, and there appears to be an intention on the part of the authorities to cover up the indiscriminate use of force on the peaceful protesters.
“We have also sought that the post-mortem reports of the people should be looked into to ascertain that the bullets hit the vital body parts of people that led to the loss of lives,” he says.
The LAB has also noted that youth who had tried to prevent the mob from resorting to violence, which was also recorded in multiple videos circulating on social media, also faced police cases.
In a separate submission made by Anjuman-e-Moin-ul-Islam, it said that on September 10, an interfaith meeting organised during the 35-day hunger strike announced by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for the demand of statehood and the Sixth Schedule was attended by religious leaders from different communities, where prayers for peace were held. Anjuman noted that the health condition of some participants who had been on a fast along with Wangchuk, had deteriorated on September 23, due to which a strike call was given the next day.
It said that without provocation, fire was opened on the peaceful protestors, and the situation would not have deteriorated had the security forces had used non-lethal crowd control measures like water cannons or resorted to a lathi charge instead of opening direct fire on the crowd.
Anjuman’s vice president, Mohammad Ramzan, says that the religious organisations in Ladakh had participated in the hunger strike, and their intent was only to raise their demands peacefully. “We have submitted before the judicial commission that an interfaith gathering was organised, and our intention was only to peacefully put forward our views on the demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule,” he says.
Former Congres MLA, Asgar Karbalai says the party has sought the withdrawal of the cases against those who were booked by police for peacefully protesting for the demands of the Sixth Schedule and statehood. “Authorities resorted to unjustified use of force against the people who were peacefully protesting for their rights,” he says.
Earlier Ladakhi groups protesting over the demands of the Sixth Schedule and statehood have noted that the region has been deprived of its powers to make laws through its MLAs, who represented the region when it was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. LAB has particularly sought that the status of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and Kargil, should be raised to that of autonomous hill development councils under the Sixth Schedule so that they could frame laws to protect land and jobs of the local population.
