Ahead of MHA-Ladakh talks in September, Centre’s outreach sees withdrawal of cases against Leh protestors

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Four civilians were killed and around 90 people, including security personnel, were injured in 2025 as locals were agitating over the demands of Statehood and the Sixth Schedule. File | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The Ladakh administration has started addressing the demands of the civil society groups of the region ahead of the Ministry of Home Affairs-level talks in New Delhi next month, as the authorities started reviewing the cases against alleged protestors for the September 24, 2025 violence.

“Cases against 25 individuals found to have had limited or no involvement would be withdrawn, with necessary closure proceedings undertaken in accordance with law. Charge sheets have been filed against nine persons in cases where evidence was available, and that the matter would remain subject to proceedings before the competent courts,” said Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, in a statement issued on Thursday (August 20, 2026).

He said 87 people were booked in connection with last year’s violence on September 24 in Leh. “The administration has identified cases where there is no major evidence. The FIR withdrawal and closure process will be taken up in court,” said Mr. Kundra.

Ladakh’s key civil society groups, including Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), earlier this week submitted a list of “non-negotiable” demands to the administration and insisted on the withdrawal of pending cases against locals, who were arrested after the September 2025 violence in Leh.

Four civilians were killed and around 90 people, including security personnel, were injured in 2025 as locals were agitating over the demands of Statehood and the Sixth Schedule.

The LAB, which is observing September this year as ‘Martyrs’ Month’, had threatened to revive agitation if the cases were not withdrawn against these locals. According to the LAB, “unarmed and innocent people were killed by opening fire from AK 47 without magisterial order in September last year”.

The civil society groups were also seeking compensation to those who died and left injured in the security forces’ action.

The withdrawal of cases is a major outreach to Ladakh by the Centre ahead of the formal round of talks scheduled for September between the civil society groups and the MHA over legislature and Article 371-like special provisions for the region.

Official sources said Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 20 to discuss the “developments in Ladakh”.

Members of LAB, KDA and former Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) leadership, recently held an informal meeting with the representatives of the MHA in Leh.

Mr. Kundar said the Administration was making efforts to schedule a formal meeting of the Ladakh Sub-Committee with the MHA in New Delhi by or before the second week of September “to discuss the demands and expectations placed before the Union Government and the broader framework being examined for Ladakh”.

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