A video circulating on social media purportedly shows Ladakh DGP SD Singh Jamwal admitting that activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested for allegedly instigating a mob that led to violent clashes in Ladakh without any evidence at the direction of the Indian defence minister.
In the clip, the officer is purportedly heard saying:
“We know that the people of Ladakh were not given their rights. We did not get any evidence against Sonam Wangchuk. And this whole incident was caused by the Indian Defence Minister, on which we apologise to the residents of Kashmir.”
The clip emphasises that Wangchuk was arrested “without evidence,” giving the impression of a politically motivated detention.
Also Read: Did Sonam Wangchuk Say Ladakh Residents Would Allow Chinese Incursion?
Evidence
No credible reports
Searches for “DGP Ladakh,” “Sonam Wangchuk,” and “Defence Minister” returned no official statements or media reports supporting the viral clip’s claims.
Original footage traced
Reverse image searches linked the viral video to a The New Indian Express report (Sept 27, 2025) showing the DGP in the same background.
The report stated: “Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal on Saturday said activist Sonam Wangchuk is being probed for having links with Pakistan. The police chief accused Wangchuk of being the key person behind Wednesday’s violent protest. Four protestors were killed when police opened fire at youth who were demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. He also defended police firing at the protestors, calling it ‘self defence’ measures taken by the police force.”
The viral remarks about the defence minister and the claim of arrest without evidence do not appear in the original footage.
ANI’s live stream of DGP Jamwal’s press conference on September 27, 2025, also contained no statements about arresting Wangchuk without evidence or blaming the government.
Signs of AI manipulation
Lip movements in the viral clip appeared unnatural and forced.
The Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), which includes Newschecker, also analysed the clip. They checked the audio on AI detection tool Hiya, which concluded, “This voice seems generated or modified by AI” with only 11% match with live human markers.
They also analysed the audio and video tracks using Hive AI. While the audio classifier indicated that the audio was “not AI,” its deepfake detector identified several markers of AI manipulation in the video itself.
Official confirmation
The PIB Fact Check explicitly clarified that the footage was altered and that the DGP never made statements about arresting Wangchuk without evidence or blaming the Defence Ministry.
Also Read: Video From Nepal Falsely Linked To Protests In Ladakh
Verdict
The viral clip falsely claims that Ladakh DGP said Sonam Wangchuk was arrested without any evidence on the defence minister’s orders. We found the video to be doctored.
FAQs
Q1. Did the Ladakh DGP ever say Sonam Wangchuk was arrested without evidence?
No. The viral video is altered.
Q2. Was the viral video genuine or manipulated?
The video was manipulated. Lip movements and voice modulation appear unnatural, and confirmed signs of alteration.
Q3. How did we verify the video was fake?
Verification included reviewing original media reports from The New Indian Express, live press conferences streamed on ANI, and AI-based deepfake analysis.
Q4. How can I identify AI-manipulated or deepfake videos?
Look for:
Unnatural lip movements
Voice mismatches
Inconsistencies in background or lighting
Verification with credible media or AI detection tools
Sources
YouTube Video By TNIE, Dated September 27, 2025
YouTube Video By ANI, Dated September 27, 2025
X Post By PIB Fact Check, Dated September 30, 2025
DAU Analysis
