A day after police removed Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site and escorted him to his residence, the climate activist on Thursday claimed that he had been placed under house arrest and alleged that around 20–25 police and paramilitary personnel had been deployed outside his Ladakh residence.
Wangchuk, who is a prominent member of Leh Apex Body (LAB), said he would challenge the restrictions on his movement before the appropriate legal forums, including the Magistrate, High Court and Supreme Court, questioning how a person could be prevented from participating in a peaceful protest without being formally arrested. Ladakh Police defended its preventive action against Wangchuk and said it was in compliance with prohibitory orders issued by the Chief Electoral Officer, UT Ladakh, and the District Magistrate, Leh, regulating public rallies, protests and other public gatherings within the limits of Leh Municipality amid the ongoing election exercise.
