Overview
- A Chamoli district court granted bail to the four Nihang Sikhs arrested over a June 16 Karnaprayag parking clash, and the men were released after furnishing bonds on Saturday.
- Hours of talks at the Kulhal checkpoint in Dehradun ended with the protesting jatha returning to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh under police escort following a brief clash and attempts to breach barricades.
- Uttarakhand deployed multi-layered metal barricades and riot-ready personnel to block entry and managed the situation through negotiation rather than a large-scale use of force.
- The state has formed a Special Investigation Team led by Haridwar senior police to probe the Karnaprayag incident and has briefed senior officials to assure a perceived impartial inquiry.
- More than 150 Nihang members remain camped at Paonta Sahib and leaders have warned they may resume agitation if legal and administrative assurances are not met, with the dispute drawing on the sect’s religious pilgrimage ties and fuelling strong community reaction.