India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a probe into possible violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) by organizations linked to Ladakh educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. Officials shared this update with in Leh on September 25.
The CBI has been conducting a preliminary investigation for some time, but no formal First Information Report (FIR) has been filed yet. One official noted, “The probe into FCRA issues with Sonam Wangchuk is ongoing.”
Wangchuk spoke to reporters about a CBI team that visited Leh around 10 days ago. He said the team mentioned a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding potential FCRA breaches at the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), one of the institutions he founded.
According to Wangchuk, the CBI pointed out that his group didn’t get the required FCRA clearance for foreign funds. He defended his work, saying, “We export our knowledge and raise revenue.” Still, he added that the team flagged three instances as FCRA violations.
This investigation comes amid heated protests in Ladakh over demands for statehood and greater autonomy. The MHA issued a statement on Wednesday, accusing Wangchuk of stirring up youth to commit violence. Wangchuk had been on a fast but ended it on September 24.
Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta, blamed “miscreants” for inciting the crowds. He explained that security forces opened fire only in self-defense after a mob set a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle on fire, putting the officers inside at risk.
Wednesday marked Leh’s worst violence in recent memory. Angry protesters threw stones at security personnel, burned a CRPF vehicle, torched the BJP office and the Leh Apex Body office, and even smashed the car of Director General of Police S.D. Singh Jamwal. Luckily, Jamwal escaped unharmed.
Authorities quickly imposed a curfew to restore order. By Thursday, the situation in Leh had calmed but remained tense. The main market stayed empty, with shops closed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which bans gatherings of five or more people.
To boost security, the local administration brought in extra forces from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Political tensions are running high. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam Wangchuk, calling him an “anarchist” who incited mobs on September 10 and, with Congress support, fueled the September 24 violence in Leh. Malviya posted, “His actions have been anything but peaceful. What he preaches on national TV and what he practices are poles apart.”
Malviya also shared videos from a September 23 press conference in Leh, where Congress councillor Smanla Dorjey Norboo vowed to lead stone-pelters to the BJP office, no matter how many CRPF troops were deployed or FIRs filed. Other Congress leaders, including councillor Tsering Namgyal—a 2024 parliamentary candidate—and Tundup Norboo Cheeta, joined the event.
In one clip, Norboo is seen near the BJP office in Leh right before it was set ablaze. Malviya claimed, “The Congress hand behind the Ladakh violence is undeniable.”
As the CBI probe continues and Ladakh tensions simmer, eyes are on how this mix of activism, foreign funding concerns, and political clashes will unfold.
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