New Delhi, Oct 14: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until October 15 the hearing on a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of noted climate activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA). The petition seeks Wangchuk’s immediate release and access to the grounds for his detention following violent protests in Ladakh.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria deferred the hearing citing time constraints. The court had earlier, on October 6, issued notices to the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, seeking their response but had not yet passed any interim orders. The adjournment extends the wait for Wangchuk’s legal team, which has been pressing for an urgent hearing in light of the alleged procedural lapses in his detention.
Wangchuk, an internationally recognized environmentalist known for his work on sustainable technologies and advocacy for Ladakh’s ecological preservation, was detained on September 26 under the NSA, just two days after large-scale protests in Leh demanding full statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The protests, which turned violent, resulted in four deaths and nearly 90 injuries. The Ladakh administration has accused Wangchuk of “provoking unrest” through his speeches and mobilization efforts, a charge his supporters and family strongly deny.
The National Security Act empowers the central and state governments to detain individuals without trial for up to 12 months if their actions are deemed “prejudicial to the defense of India, the security of the state, or public order.” Critics, however, argue that the law is often misused to silence dissent and suppress political activism. Wangchuk is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan, far from Ladakh, a decision that his family has described as “punitive and isolating.”
In her plea, Angmo contended that Wangchuk’s detention is arbitrary and politically motivated. She has sought a writ of habeas corpus, demanding that the authorities produce Wangchuk before the court, grant her access to him, and furnish a copy of the detention order. The petition also calls for the quashing of the NSA charges, arguing that Wangchuk’s activism has always been peaceful and focused on environmental and constitutional issues concerning Ladakh.