Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Climate activist and Leh Apex Body member Sonam Wangchuk has claimed that he has been placed under house arrest in Leh. He alleges that dozens of armed police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed around his residence after he opposed the scheduling of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections during the harsh winter months.
Wangchuk said around 20 to 25 security personnel were stationed outside his residence, restricting his movement and preventing him from joining planned protests.
The development came a day after police removed him from a proposed protest site and escorted him to his residence. Wangchuk said he and other representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) were preparing to hold a sit-in when police intervened. In a message on social media, he declared that he was under house arrest and questioned the administration’s position that he had merely been advised to remain indoors.
He said the restrictions were imposed after he raised questions over the delay in making public the Judicial Enquiry Commission report into the September 24, 2025 incident in Leh, and opposed holding the Hill Council elections in mid-winter. Wangchuk has argued that polls in December would hurt participation, because a significant section of Ladakh’s population, including students and others who migrate in winter, may be away from the region. He has also alleged that the Hill Councils have been deprived of meaningful powers.
He said he would challenge the restrictions before the appropriate legal forums, including the Magistrate, the High Court and the Supreme Court, asking how authorities could prevent someone from joining a peaceful protest without formally arresting them.
Ladakh Police have defended the preventive action. They said Wangchuk was advised to remain at home in compliance with prohibitory orders issued by the Chief Electoral Officer of Ladakh and the District Magistrate, Leh. The orders regulate public rallies, protests and other gatherings within Leh municipal limits during the ongoing election process. An order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has also restricted his participation in unauthorised public gatherings for 60 days.
The row comes days after a complete shutdown was observed across Ladakh against the proposed winter schedule for the LAHDC polls, with the LAB, the KDA, religious bodies and traders all opposing it. The two sides now give conflicting accounts of whether Wangchuk has been formally restrained, and the dispute may be tested in court if he follows through on his legal challenge. The authorities have not said whether the election schedule will be reviewed.
