Ladakh violence probe: Panel warns against threats; urges eyewitnesses to 'speak freely'

SRINAGAR: A judicial committee acceptable up by the Union location ministry (MHA) to probe the Sept 24 unit successful Leh warned Friday that anyone threatening eyewitnesses against deposing would beryllium strictly dealt with.The commission, headed by retired Supreme Court justice BS Chauhan, had revealed past period that it was not getting bully effect and accusation connected the unit that saw information forces successful Leh allegedly unfastened occurrence connected protesters demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule presumption for the Union territory. Four radical died and implicit 90 were injured.“There are respective instances wherever radical are being threatened and told not to depose.

If anyone has been threatened, they should constitute to the commission. If idiosyncratic is acrophobic to travel forward, we volition support their individuality confidential,” Rigzin Spalgon, associated caput of the commission, said connected Friday. He urged eyewitnesses to travel guardant and “speak freely” earlier the commission.Spalgon’s statements followed a announcement connected Thursday successful which the committee warned of ineligible enactment against anyone “interfering, deterring, obstructing oregon hindering” witnesses.

Evidence tin beryllium submitted till Nov 28, aft which the committee volition commencement hearings.The MHA had announced the committee aft demands from Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Ladakh’s 2 large governmental organisations. Both had made the panel’s enactment a precondition for resuming dialog with the Centre. Climate activistic and LAB subordinate Sonam Wangchuk was among the implicit 70 radical arrested implicit the violence, which was followed by a clampdown that included curfew-like restrictions and net blocks.Other than Chauhan, the committee has retired territory justice Mohan Singh Parihar arsenic judicial caput and IAS Tushar Anand arsenic administrative secretary. The ministry aboriginal expanded the sheet by including Spalgon, a Ladakhi, connected demands from LAB.After the probe committee was announced, the Centre resumed talks with LAB and KDA connected Oct 22 successful New Delhi. The talks, earlier held with a committee headed by inferior Union location curate Nityanand Rai, had been called disconnected by the Ladakh groups pursuing the violence.