Congress Councillor Stanzin Tsepag, who was at the centre of a major controversy following the September 24 violence in Leh, was granted bail along with six others by a local court.
Tsepag, a sitting councillor, had come under the spotlight after an alleged photo of a masked man holding a stick went viral on social media in the aftermath of the violence. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had alleged that the person in the image was Tsepag himself, a claim he has categorically denied.
The court’s decision to grant bail comes more than two weeks after widespread clashes erupted during protests in Leh, leaving four people dead and over 90 injured, and prompting a heavy police crackdown.
Sources said the court found no grounds for the continued detention of the seven other individuals, including Tsepag, and ordered their release pending further investigation.
Tsepag, who has maintained his innocence from the beginning, said the allegations were politically motivated.
“The image circulated on social media was part of a deliberate attempt to malign me and the Congress Party,” he told his associates after being released.
Meanwhile, several political and social leaders in Ladakh have announced plans for a two-hour peaceful silent march, followed by an evening shutdown across the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The protesters are demanding the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been lodged in Jodhpur Jail under the National Security Act.
Also Read: Curfew relaxed in Leh for four hours as situation stays peaceful
Follow us
