Speaking at a gathering in Ladakh on Sept. 24, Wangchuk said he had received warnings about threats to his life and feared he could be killed in an encounter. He held Shah politically responsible for the deaths and alleged that security personnel used automatic weapons against local youths. These claims were presented as Wangchuk’s allegations; the source does not report an inquiry finding on responsibility.
The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered a judicial inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge B. S. Chauhan into the events of Sept. 24, 2025, the police action and the deaths. Wangchuk demanded that its report be made public. He also alleged that three magistrates present during the firing had refused to sign orders and said the inquiry should examine that claim.
Wangchuk linked the violence to Ladakh’s demands for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, saying earlier assurances had not been fulfilled. He named the four people killed as Linchen Dadul of Hanu, Tigment Dorje of Kharnaag, Salwin Namgyal of Egoo and Sandin Dorje of Shitman, and called for justice for them.
A shutdown was observed in Leh and Kargil on Sept. 23, the day before the anniversary, with shops and businesses closed and traffic reduced, according to the report. Wangchuk said security deployments and restrictions contributed to low attendance at the following day’s commemoration and alleged that some students and village representatives had been discouraged from attending.
Ladakh Police rejected those claims as false and misleading. The force said no one was stopped from attending a prayer meeting organised by the Ladakh Buddhist Association at Leh’s NDS ground. Police said the venue can hold 10,000 people, fewer than 800 attended, and barricades were part of traffic and crowd management after organisers had projected a large gathering.
Wangchuk said the deaths should not be treated as resolved and argued that the circumstances of the firing, including his allegation that people were shot while unarmed, required scrutiny. The government inquiry’s report had not been released in the source account. His proposed people’s tribunal was conditional on the report remaining unpublished; no tribunal had yet been constituted, according to the material.