FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Saturday, 27 September 2025 CBC 15502/13/0023/2526 FESTIVAL OF SAVINGS, SEASON OF JOY Ladakh violence: Sonam Wangchuk arrested Ladakhi environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk. FILE PHOTO STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 26 September C limate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been at the forefront of the agitation for Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, was arrested on Friday when he was scheduled to address a press conference to counter the allegations of inciting violence and foreign funding against him. His arrest by a team of Ladakh Police led by DGP SD Singh Jamwal comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs accused Mr Wangchuk of instigating violence in Ladakh. Sources said he was arrested under the National Security Act, and has been taken to Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Mr Wangchuk was to address a press conference at 2.30 p.m. on Zoom but the authorities are reported to have snapped internet services too in Leh. Mr Wangchuk, along with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been seeking full statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution for Ladakh. The arrest comes two days after the protests over the issue spearheaded by Mr Wangchuk, who had started a 15-day fast, turned violent, leaving four people dead and over 90 injured in Leh. While curfew continues in Leh, prohibitory orders were also imposed in Kargil after Mr Wangchuk’s detention, reports said. The Union Home Ministry had earlier blamed Mr Wangchuk for allegedly provoking unrest through his speeches. It had also cancelled the FCRA licence of Mr Wangchuk’s NGO. M L Kotru passes away Mohta’s Barisha project under PIL cloud STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 26 September Veteran journalist and former Editor of The Statesman, Delhi, M L Kotru, passed away last evening at his home in Gurgaon. He was 90. Following a long innings at this newspaper, Kotru was associated with various media organisations including Sunday Mail and ANI. He wrote regularly for The Statesman until 2013, and for publications in Kashmir, from where he hailed. Considered a mentor by an entire generation of journalists, Kotru was one of the oldest members of the Press Club of India, and its former Secretary-General. In 1959, he was awarded the prestigious Watumull Award, instituted by the Watumull Foundation, Hawaii, for an evocative series of articles titled “The Other Side” published in The Statesman. A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De has issued notice to Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Block and Land Reforms Officer, Behala and the Airports Authority of India on a public interest litigation seeking to stop all construction at the Merlin Avana project promoted by builder Sushil Mohta in the city’s Barisha area. The government authorities have been asked to file their responses on affidavit within four weeks. The notices were issued on Wednesday after the petitioners – local residents of the area – made serious allegations about the project, including that it had covered up water bodies, and that it had been granted sanction for construction of seven towers when it had obtained clearance from the Airports THE PETITIONERS – LOCAL RESIDENTS OF THE AREA – MADE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THAT IT HAD COVERED UP WATER BODIES. Kolkata, 26 September • Generous mentor: Pg 5 Authority of India for only four towers. The petitioners alleged they had recently come to know that Merlin, which had entered into a Joint Development Agreement in 2021 for a project coming up on 22 bighas of land with multiple land-owners, had covered up several ponds. They stated that Kolkata Municipal Corporation had sanctioned a building plan for the project in July 2022, whereby seven towers were proposed. The PIL said: “The petitioners state that the respondent no. 14 (Merlin) herein is trying to make the construction on the abovementioned plots of land…relying on a no-objection certificate for revised height clearance dated 18-1-2023 by the Airports Authority of India.” It was alleged that while the NOC was issued in respect of 58 Motilal Gupta Road, it was being used for 260 Motilal Gupta Road. It was further alleged that while the NOC had been issued in respect of four towers, Merlin planned to construct seven towers. The petitioners have relied on land records to state that most of the plots within the land in question were classified as “pukur, pukur dar, danga and Sali” and as such KMC could not have sanctioned a building plan without conversion of the land. The petitioners have stated that the ponds on the plot had historically been an important source of groundwater, and a natural buffer against urban flooding. Accusing the KMC of having sanctioned the building plans without proper verification of land records, the petitioners alleged that the sanction would lead to permanent ecological damage and that it violates municipal and environmental laws. It will be recalled that just last month, another Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court had ordered the demolition of a 26-storeyed tower comprising 233 apartments, 269 car parking spaces and a commercial plaza in a residential housing project in New Town promoted by Mohta and two others. The court had further directed that officials of the promoter and engineers/officials of the New Kolkata Development Authority who connived in the fraud be proceeded against, both departmentally and under criminal laws.