LEH (Oct 18) – Two days after declaring normalcy in the Union Territory, the Ladakh administration late Friday reimposed restrictions on public gatherings in Leh, hours after the Union Home Ministry (MHA) announced a judicial probe into the September 24 police firing that left four people dead and nearly 90 injured.
An order issued by Leh District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk banned gatherings of five or more people, processions, rallies, and marches without prior permission. The order cited a report from the Senior Superintendent of Police warning of potential “disturbance of peace and threat to law and order.” It also prohibited the use of loudspeakers without approval under BNS Section 163, and cautioned against making statements likely to incite unrest.
Earlier in the day, the MHA appointed retired Supreme Court judge Dr Justice B. S. Chauhan to head the judicial inquiry into the firing incident. The ministry also reached out to the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — two key political groups leading the protest movement in Ladakh — reiterating that the government “has always been open for dialogues at any time.”
“The government remains committed to the aspirations of the people of Ladakh and is confident that continuous dialogue will yield the desired result,” the ministry said in its statement.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay welcomed the move, saying, “Whenever the government invites us for talks, we will readily join.”
The outreach came a day after LAB and KDA announced plans to hold a silent march on October 18 in solidarity with those killed, injured, and arrested during the September 24 firing.
Following the MHA announcement, Ladakh Chief Secretary Dr Pawan Kotwal appealed to the groups to call off the peace march, calling the September 24 incident “unfortunate.”
He detailed the aftermath of the violence, saying, “The incident claimed four lives and left around 90 injured, including 72 seriously. Doctors provided immediate treatment, performing complex surgeries that saved 11 critical patients. Five are still recovering from fractures, four are expected to be discharged within two weeks, and one, a former serviceman, will need more time to recover.”
Kotwal added that authorities had made “sustained efforts to restore normalcy,” including the restoration of internet services, reopening of markets, and lifting of all earlier restrictions on October 15.
“At this stage, we do not want any large gatherings or crowds that could go out of control,” he said.