New Delhi (PTI): Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and 150 other protestors from Ladakh who are under detention on Wednesday continued their indefinite fast, saying they find their rights "trampled upon" on Gandhi Jayanti, a day that symbolizes peace and democracy.

Wangchuk was leading 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which began from Leh a month ago. They were detained on Monday night.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Jigmat Paljor, Coordinator Apex Body, said their detention, which is continuing for over 24 hours, is illegal.

"We, the 'padyatris', find ourselves in an alarming situation. We have been detained for over 24 hours. This detention is illegal, as the 24-hour period has elapsed, and we must be produced before a magistrate," Paljor said.

"Some groups have been released after just under 24 hours, only to be returned to the police station. Last night, the police attempted to forcibly relocate us to an unknown location, but we stood our ground in resistance," he added.

"Our phones have been confiscated at the Bawana Police Station, leaving us cut off from the outside world," Paljor said in the statement.

Delhi Police, however, said that the 'padyatris' were released last night and detained again.

Wangchuk and other detained Ladakhis were allowed to go on Tuesday night but they were adamant to march towards the central part of Delhi, therefore, they were detained again, a senior police officer told PTI.

The 'padyatris', who started from Leh on September 1, marched all the way, except upon entering poll bound Haryana where they boarded buses. They were detained at Delhi's Singhu border on Monday night and taken to different police stations, where they started an indefinite fast.

"Also all the 'padyatris' are on 'anshan' since 36 hours. Today, October 2nd, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we had intended to visit Gandhi Samadhi to pay our respects. Instead, we find our rights trampled upon on a day that symbolizes peace and democracy," Paljor said.

"This situation raises serious concerns about the state of our democracy. We call upon everyone to stand in solidarity with us during this critical time," he added.

The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, seek its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Wangchuk has been kept at the Bawana police station along with few others while others have been kept at Narela Industrial Area, Alipur and Kanjhawala police stations, he added.

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Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.

The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.

Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.

"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.

Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.

“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.

Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.

"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.

The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.

Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.

"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.

The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.

Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.