2025 Leh violence: Judicial inquiry nears completion, 93 witnesses examined
Leh/Jammu (PTI): Joint Secretary of the Judicial Inquiry Commission probing the Leh violence in September, Rigzin Spalgon, on Friday said 93 witnesses have been examined until the third session of the inquiry.
He expressed hope that the ongoing session would likely be the final phase of the probe.
The three-member commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge B S Chauhan, was appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs on October 17 last year to look into the circumstances that led to a law and order crisis in Leh on September 24, 2025.
It was also tasked to review actions taken by police during the situation, and assess the events resulting in the loss of four lives, including that of a 1999 Kargil war veteran, in police firing.
While four individuals were killed and 80 others were injured in police firing, the protesters had set the BJP office on fire, and burnt private and public cars.
Retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar serves as judicial secretary and Advocate Himanshu Sharma acts as counsel to the commission.
The commission was formed after the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance -- which had been jointly spearheading the agitation demanding Sixth Schedule status and statehood to Ladakh -- rejected the magisterial inquiry ordered by the L-G administration into the September 24 violence and urged the Centre to order a judicial inquiry into the violence.
The Judicial Inquiry Commission has extended the deadline for recording statements and submitting evidence several times, following a formal request from the Leh Apex Body.
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Case registered against associate film director for sexual assault of model in Kochi
Kochi (PTI): Police on Saturday said they had registered a case against an associate director in the film industry for "sexually assaulting" a model here.
The case was registered against Jojo Kurishinkal of Chengannur in Alappuzha district at the Maradu police station on May 6.
Kurishinkal has worked in several films as an assistant and associate director.
According to the FIR, the complainant, a model based in Kochi, met Kurishinkal through a dating app in July 2023.
The FIR stated that the accused told the complainant he was a film director and had separated from his wife before proposing marriage to her.
He later allegedly assured the complainant and her mother that he would go ahead with the marriage once the legal procedures related to his divorce were completed, the FIR said.
According to the FIR, the accused later invited the complainant to his apartment in Vyttila on April 18, 2024, where he "sexually assaulted" her.
The FIR further alleged that he continued to sexually harass the woman thereafter. It also stated that the accused had "physically assaulted" the complainant on multiple occasions before later refusing to marry her.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code for repeatedly raping the same woman.
Police said the woman’s confidential statement would be recorded, following which the accused would be summoned for questioning.
