NEW DELHI: India on Saturday ended the preventive detention of prominent Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, freeing him six months after he was held over protests in the Himalayan region.
Wangchuk, 59, an environmental advocate who became a key figure in Ladakh’s movement for greater autonomy, was held in September and later charged under India’s National Security Act following protests that left four people dead and dozens wounded.
New Delhi had blamed the violence on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment.
Authorities in the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan, at the time said the order, issued by the district magistrate of Leh, was needed to “maintain public order.
Under the stringent National Security Act, a suspect can be detained for up to 12 months without being formally charged.
The home ministry said in a statement Saturday it had decided to end Wangchuk’s detention “with immediate effect” after “due consideration”.
It is not clear if the charges against Wangchuk were dropped.
Mustafa Haji, a lawyer for the Leh Apex Body -- which spearheaded last year’s protests -- said Wangchuk was released from jail in the western city of Jodhpur soon after.
The home ministry said it remained “committed to fostering an environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust in” Ladakh and have “meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders”.
The decision also comes as the Supreme Court continues to hear a petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, challenging the legality of his detention. The fate of that case remains unclear now that Wangchuk has been released.
