Ladakh police opened fire without magistrate’s order, Congress tells judicial panel

The Congress on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the retired Justice Dr. B.S. Chauhan headed Judicial Commission, which is inquiring into the protests and deaths of four civilians in September in Ladakh, and alleged that “the Ladakh police opened fire on peaceful protesters without any order from the on duty magistrate”.

“Without using tear gas and lathi charges as per established protocols, Ladakh Police directly resorted to bullet firing on the innocent crowd without any authorisation from the on duty magistrate as explicitly required under Section 149 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),” the memorandum, submitted by senior Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, said.

The Congress memorandum claimed that eyewitnesses, including members of the LAB such as Tsering Dorjay Lakruk, “have confirmed that no such order was issued, thereby rendering the firing unlawful and a blatant breach of the procedure established by law”.

The memorandum said the protest was primarily aimed to protect Ladakh’s unique cultural heritage, fragile ecology and economic interests. “However, the response from the UT administration, and the Ladakh Police particularly, was unprecedented and unacceptable in a democracy,” it said.

Seeking “financial aid and psychological support” to the victims families, the Congress told the Commission that the “wounds inflicted on September 24 run deep in the collective psyche of Ladakh threatening its social fabric and the nation’s commitment to constitutional values”.

“We place our hope in the Commission to deliver not just findings but transformative justice and action against the officers responsible for the barbaric act of September 24, 2025,” it added.

It said compounding this grave misery, many innocent persons, including prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, “continue to be held in detention without substantial evidence against them in clear violation of Article 22’s protections against arbitrary arrest and detention”.

The Congress demanded “daily public hearings to conclude the inquiry as soon as possible, to pacify the sentiments of the people”. “The Commission should direct the Union Territory Administration, and Ladakh Police in particular, to produce all relevant documents, including intelligence reports and detention files, without delay or redaction,” it said.

The Congress has sought “immediate release of all innocent detained individuals and recommend criminal proceedings against Ladakh Police Officers or Officials responsible for the unlawful firing”.

It also submitted to the Judicial Commission that reforms, such as mandatory body cameras for police, limits on National Security Act usage and enhanced local governance under the Constitution to safeguard against future incidents, be undertaken.

The judicial commission was constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in October this year to inquire into the circumstances that resulted in violence and the deaths of four civilians during street protests on September 24 in Ladakh’s Leh district.