Srinagar: The Ladakh administration has decided to file closure reports in cases against 25 of the 87 people booked in connection with 2025 violence in Leh. The decision was taken on Thursday, a day after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials and sought the unconditional withdrawal of all cases related to the violence last year.Accepting their demands partially, Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra said on Thursday that 87 people were booked for violence, adding that the charge sheets were filed against only nine. After consultations with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, the MHA officials decided to close cases against 25 people for not getting substantial evidence, he said.Calling September 24 “a sad day and a blot on the pages of history”, Kundra while addressing the press said, “We have also asked the DGP to thoroughly assess the remaining cases, and if someone was merely standing in the crowd but had no active role, we will examine what decision can be taken in such cases.” The Ladakh representatives also made a demand for adequate compensation to affected families.Environmental activist and LAB member Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act. He had been accused of inciting the protests. The Centre revoked his detention in March 2026. He subsequently continued to push for the resumption of talks and participated in the May 22 meeting between Ladakh representatives and the Centre.The delegation of LAB and KDA had jointly presented a list of “non-negotiable” demands before the MHA officials. The demands also included an elected Ladakh Legislative Assembly with a chief.According to the member of KDA, who was part of the delegation, the main focus was laid on the withdrawal of all cases, including FIR No. 144. Despite the delegation’s demand to avoid “selective, phased or discriminatory withdrawal” of cases, the administration has started the phased and selective withdrawal of the cases. The LAB and KDA members also demanded compensation and assistance for those killed, injured or otherwise affected by police firing and lathi-charge during the protests.In September 24 violence, four people were killed and more than 80 injured in alleged police firing on protesters in Leh. The protesters had been demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule pf the Constitution.Wednesday’s meeting between Ladakh representatives and the MHA was held in what Kundra described as an “open atmosphere”. He said a previous meeting on July 3 had resulted in a consensus to establish a UT-level body under a framework to be developed in consultation with the Centre.The proposed body would be a sui generis institution, Kundra said, with no identical model elsewhere in India. The framework would involve consultations with the MHA, Law Ministry and other stakeholders on its composition, elections, powers and legislative and executive functions.Kundra said the creation of the body would require a constitutional amendment and therefore would take time.“At the same time, we do not want a democratic vacuum to be here,” he said. “That is why we have decided to start the process of strengthening the existing democratic institutions.”The MHA’s subcommittee is expected to hold its next formal meeting with Ladakh representatives in the first half of September, Kundra said.Kundra also announced that the administration would recommend to the State Election Commission that the process for holding Panchayat elections be initiated.“There are no elected representatives here except in Kargil,” he said, adding that electoral rolls would have to be revised before a formal election notification.The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil is currently the only elected hill council in the Union Territory. Elections to the Leh council were not held following the September 24 violence.Kundra said the administration intended to strengthen existing democratic institutions while discussions continued on a proposed UT-level body for Ladakh.“There are Panchayats, municipalities and district councils. Obviously, we will fulfil our constitutional and legal obligations,” he said. “The first link in that process is Panchayat elections which will now be held.”“The home ministry is also preparing a framework. The law ministry and everyone concerned will work together to determine how it will be formed, how elections will be held, what powers it will have, what its legislative powers will be and what the executive structure will look like,” Kundra said.He said the next step would be to establish district councils in all seven districts of Ladakh. Under Section 3 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, he said, there is provision for a district council in every district.The Centre had constituted a high-level committee in January 2023, headed by Union minister Nityanand Rai, to address key political, constitutional and developmental issues concerning Ladakh. Several rounds of talks followed before the process was disrupted by the September 2025 violence.