Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife Moves Supreme Court Challenging NSA Detention, Seeks Immediate Release

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) and seeking his immediate release. Wangchuk was detained on 26 September, two days after protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status left four people dead and 90 injured. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur Jail, Rajasthan.

Key Points of the Plea

The habeas corpus petition, filed through senior lawyer Vivek Tankha and advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare, alleges that Wangchuk’s detention is illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional, violating Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. It also questions the decision to invoke the NSA against him.

The plea has requested:

• Urgent listing of the petition and direction to the Ladakh UT administration to produce Wangchuk before the Supreme Court immediately.

• Immediate access for his wife, both telephonic and in-person, and provision of his medicines, clothes, and food.

• Quashing of the preventive detention order and furnishing of the grounds of detention and all related records.

• Directions to stop harassment of students and staff of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), which Wangchuk founded.

Allegations Highlighted in the Petition

The plea contends that Wangchuk, known internationally as an innovator, environmentalist, and social reformer, has always followed Gandhian and peaceful methods to highlight ecological and democratic concerns in Ladakh.

It alleges that on 26 September, the Deputy Commissioner of Leh detained him under Section 3(2) of the NSA while he was recovering from a prolonged fast demanding constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Wangchuk was reportedly shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail without medicines, personal belongings, or access to family and counsel, and no grounds of detention have been communicated to him or his family to date.

The petition also claims that Angmo herself has been under virtual house arrest in Leh, while HIAL students and staff face harassment, intimidation, and intrusive investigations. It describes the transfer to Jodhpur, coupled with alleged propaganda linking Wangchuk to foreign entities, as a mala fide state action aimed at suppressing democratic dissent and peaceful environmental activism.

Psychological Impact on the Community

The plea notes that Wangchuk’s detention has caused severe mental anguish among the people of Ladakh, who regard him as a leader. It cited a recent tragic suicide of a Ladakh Buddhist Association member, allegedly depressed after Wangchuk’s detention, highlighting the psychological impact on the community.

The petition calls for urgent medical examination of Wangchuk, production of his medical reports, and restoration of his basic necessities. It also urges the authorities to stop harassment of HIAL members and students who are engaged in lawful ecological and educational work.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Ladakh UT administration, Deputy Commissioner of Leh, and Jodhpur Jail Superintendent have been made respondents in the plea. The Supreme Court is yet to list the matter for hearing.