Leh (Ladakh) — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an inquiry into alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) against institutions founded by Ladakh-based educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk, officials confirmed on Thursday. No FIR has been registered yet, but the investigation has been ongoing for some time.
According to Wangchuk, a CBI team visited the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) and the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) last week, seeking details of foreign funds received between 2022 and 2024. “The teams are still camping in Ladakh and rigorously reviewing accounts and statements of both organisations,” he said.
Wangchuk claimed that the funds in question were linked to service agreements with taxes duly paid, including collaborations with the United Nations, a Swiss university, and an Italian organisation. He alleged that the CBI had gone beyond its mandate, requesting records dating back to 2020 and 2021, and demanded documents from schools outside the scope of the original complaint.
The activist also highlighted past actions against him, including a sedition case filed by local police and the withdrawal of land allotted for HIAL, citing lease-related issues. Wangchuk said these measures were followed by the CBI probe and income tax summons. “Despite Ladakh being a tax-free region, I voluntarily pay taxes, yet I face multiple actions against us,” he said.
The inquiry comes amid heightened tensions in Ladakh. On Wednesday, protests in the region turned violent, with arson and vandalism reported at the BJP headquarters and Hill Council, prompting police and paramilitary intervention.
Wangchuk, who began a hunger strike on September 10 demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion for Ladakh, described the probe as “overzealous,” emphasizing that his institutions provide free education to needy students and pay stipends for student projects. “We do not want to be dependent on foreign funds. These were instances where our revenue-raising knowledge exports were misinterpreted as foreign contributions,” he said.
