Ladakh Administration Defends Cancellation of Land Allotment to Wangchuk’s Institute in High Court

PTI, Oct 22, 2026, Leh: The Ladakh administration has defended cancelling land allotment to Sonam Wangchuk's institute, citing the activist's "disregard for the law", and said the allotment automatically lapsed due to unpaid dues and an unexecuted lease deed.

In an affidavit filed in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the administration maintained that the 40-year lease allotment covering 1,076 kanals and 1 marla of land at Phyang Thang had "lapsed by operation of law" on May 5, 2019, due to the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL)'s failure to execute a lease deed or deposit mandatory land premiums within the stipulated one-year period.

The affidavit, running into 136 pages, was filed by Leh Deputy Commissioner and CEO of LAHDC, Romil Singh Donk, in response to HIAL's writ petition challenging the August 21, 2025, cancellation order for the leased land allotted to the institute.

Bringing other context before the court, the affidavit highlighted the past conduct of HIAL's founder, Wangchuk, and his organisation, the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), and said that SECMOL has occupied 124 kanals of state land at Phey for over three decades without formal allotment or payment of an assessed Rs 80 lakh premium.

The affidavit also references the violent protests in Leh in September 2025, which led to the Union Home Ministry's intervention, the cancellation of SECMOL's FCRA registration, and Wangchuk's brief detention under the National Security Act prior to its revocation in March 2026, as part of a consistent pattern of public order disruptions.

When approached for comments, HIAL CEO Gitanjali Angmo denied the claims made by the Ladakh administration in its affidavit.

Citing a September 25, 2025, order by the Home Ministry cancelling SECMOL's FCRA registration, the affidavit said it was done due to multiple statutory violations, which included accepting foreign funds from a Swedish donor to study the sovereignty of the nation, deemed prejudicial to national interest.

It said that local residents, the Phyang Welfare Society and village Nambardars have repeatedly petitioned authorities since 2018, alleging broken promises regarding the university project, unauthorised diversion of ancient irrigation streams for "Ice Stupa" experiments, and alleged illegal encroachment of an additional 174 kanals beyond the boundary wall.