The Supreme Court of India started a fresh look‑in on the case of Sonam Wangchuk, a well‑known climate activist from Ladakh, who has been held under the National Security Act (NSA). On Monday, the court sent a notice to the Union government after Gitanjali J. Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife, filed a writ petition asking for her husband’s release.
The bench, led by Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria, asked the Centre to explain why Wangchuk was detained and whether the reasons for his arrest had been legally served to him. The court was told that the government had already sent the grounds of detention to Wangchuk—but not to his wife.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the activist, said his client’s family had not received any copy of the detention order. Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General for the Centre, replied that the law requires the document to be served on the detainee himself and that the government would look into delivering the paper to the wife.
The court’s follow‑up decision that Tuesday will focus on whether the wife can legally receive the notice and whether she can meet Wangchuk in jail. The Centre’s law officer stressed that “no one is being kept from meeting him” and that the detainee’s lawyer and brother have already visited him. The government also pledged to consider the wife’s request to see her husband.
A related issue is the activist’s health. Wangchuk told a medical officer that he is not on medication, a claim the government described as “hype” intended to stir emotions in the media. Nevertheless, the bench ordered that Wangchuk receive any medical care the prison rules provide.
The root of the controversy began when the Home Ministry accused Wangchuk of inciting violence in Leh. He had been on hunger strike since September 10, but when violence erupted, he left the protest point in an ambulance. He was then arrested under the NSA and moved to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Police fired on protesters who pelted stones at a CRPF vehicle, causing civilian casualties.
Wangchuk is a respected figure in Ladakh, known for his work in education, environmental conservation, and grassroots development. He has earned national and international praise for low‑cost schooling models, eco‑friendly initiatives, and promoting science among students.
The Supreme Court will hear the case again next Tuesday, and the outcome will decide whether Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA is lawful.
Source: ianslive
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