Centre appoints former Supreme Court Judge B.S. Chauhan to head judicial inquiry into Leh violence
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan to conduct a judicial inquiry into the violent incidents that erupted in Leh on September 24, 2025. The violence, which occurred during protests demanding statehood for Ladakh, resulted in the deaths of four individuals.
According to the order issued by the Department of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh Affairs on October 17, the inquiry will examine the events leading to the breakdown of law and order, the subsequent police action, and the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
An FIR (No. 144/2025) has already been registered at the Leh Police Station under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Sections 189, 191, 190, 115, 118, 326, 324, 309, 109, 117, 125, and 121.
The notification emphasized that it was “imperative to conduct an inquiry into the said incident by a Retired Judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.” Accordingly, Justice Chauhan has been tasked with leading the probe.
Justice Chauhan will be assisted by Mohan Singh Parihar, a retired District and Sessions Judge, who will serve as Judicial Secretary, and Tushar Anand, IAS, who will act as Administrative Secretary.
The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of the Union Territory of Ladakh have been directed to extend full administrative and logistical support to ensure the smooth conduct of the judicial inquiry.
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US renews sanctions waiver for purchase of Russian oil
Washington (PTI): The United States has extended by a month a waiver from sanctions to allow countries to buy petroleum products from Russia, days after it ruled out renewal of the special measure.
The US Department of Treasury issued an order late Friday extending the waiver from sanctions on Russian oil that is already at sea on or before April 17 through May 16.
Earlier, the US had granted an exemption from sanctions to India for buying Russian oil for a month beginning March 5. A few days later, a similar waiver was extended to several other countries, which ended on April 11.
The general licence issued by the US on Friday does not authorise any transaction involving a person, entity or joint venture located in Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or parts of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would not be renewing the waiver for Russian oil and another for Iranian oil.
The previous waiver of sanctions had made available 140 million barrels of Russian oil already loaded on ships to global markets as prices soared against the backdrop of the US war with Iran.
"Effective April 17, 2026, General License No. 134A, which was dated March 19, 2026 and expired on April 11, 2026, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 134B," said the order issued by the Department of Treasury.
