After three days, curfew in Leh was relaxed for four hours, with people going out to buy essential goods; investigation into Sonam Wangchuk’s Pakistan connection, lodged in Jodhpur jail, intensified.

The curfew in the violence-hit city of Leh, Ladakh, was relaxed for the first time in three days on Saturday. The relaxation was phased outhttp://www.cgglobal.news in the afternoon for four hours in both the old city and new areas. Under the presence of police and paramilitary forces, people stood in queues to buy essential items and withdraw cash from ATMs. No untoward incidents were reported.

Director General of Police S.D. Singh Jamwal said the restrictions were relaxed from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the old city and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the new areas. The decision was made after a high-level security review meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta at Raj Bhavan. The violence began on Wednesday when riots broke out during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body.

The shutdown was called to demand statehood and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in Ladakh. The situation quickly escalated, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to over 90. A curfew was subsequently imposed across the city. Late Friday night, the administration alleged that inflammatory speeches by Sonam Wangchuk and examples like Nepal’s Gen-Z movement had created the grounds for the violence.http://www.cgglobal.news

A police officer explained that Sonam Wangchuk’s inflammatory speeches and misleading videos led to the burning of institutions, buildings, and vehicles. Police officers were attacked, and the situation spiraled out of control. Violence could have been avoided if Wangchuk had accepted the offer of talks and ended the hunger strike. However, he did not do so. The protest continued.

The Ladakh police chief also stated that Sonam Wangchuk has been placed in an external jail to prevent his actions from further escalating the situation in the city. The administration claims that his detention under the NSA was a deliberate move to restore peace in Leh. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for the funerals of the four people who lost their lives in the violence.