Man from Churu claiming to be Wangchuk's supporter detained outside Jodhpur central jail

Jodhpur, Sep 27 (PTI) Police on Saturday detained a person outside the Jodhpur Central Jail, where Sonam Wangchuk is lodged under the stringent NSA in connection with the Leh violence, after he indulged in slogan-shouting in favour of the activist.

The man, who identified himself as Vijay Pal from Churu district of Rajasthan, appeared before mediapersons near the prison with a tricolour in his hand and shouted "Bharat Mata ki jai' slogan. He expressed solidarity with Wangchuk, after which he was whisked away by the police.

"Vijai Pal has been detained. He is claiming to be an ordinary man. The police are questioning him," Ratanada Police Station in-charge Dinesh Lakhawat said.

"Nothing suspicious has been found with him so far," he said.

Personnel from Ratanada Police Station appeared at the site and enquired about his intentions before taking him away.

"Sonam Wangchuk is a patriot. All the citizens of Leh-Ladakh are patriots. It was these people who informed the Indian Army about the Kargil infiltration. When I came to know that Wangchuk had been brought to Jodhpur, I got up in the morning and went to Sujangarh railway station by bicycle. From there, I took a train and came to Jodhpur," Pal told the police.

Wangchuk was brought to Jodhpur jail on Friday after he was detained from his house in Leh following a case against him under the National Security Act. The Ladakh administration alleged that a series of "provocative" speeches by him with references to Nepal agitation and the Arab Spring resulted in the Wednesday's violence.

He was flown to the Jodhpur airport on Friday night and was taken to the jail in an armoured vehicle amid high security.

Violence broke out in Leh on Wednesday during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to advance talks with the Centre on the demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

Four people were killed and 90 others, including many security personnel, were injured in the clashes during protests, following which curfew was clamped in Leh. PTI CORR RT