NEW DELHI, Oct 6: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Union government and the Union Territory administration of Ladakh, seeking their response to a petition filed by Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of noted climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and seeking his immediate release. The plea also sought a direction to produce Wangchuk before the court and to quash the preventive detention order, alleging that it violates his fundamental rights.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria heard the petition but declined to issue any interim directions on the demand for disclosure of the grounds of Wangchuk’s detention at this stage. The bench listed the matter for detailed hearing on October 14, directing the Centre and the Ladakh administration to file their responses by then.
Wangchuk, an internationally recognized engineer, environmentalist, and education reformer, was detained on September 26 under the NSA, a law that permits preventive detention without trial for up to 12 months. His detention came just two days after large-scale protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status turned violent, leaving four people dead and at least 90 others injured. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.
The petition filed by his wife argues that Wangchuk’s detention is “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional,” violating his rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. It also questions the necessity and proportionality of invoking the NSA against a peaceful activist known globally for his work in sustainable development and environmental conservation. The plea alleges that his arrest is an attempt to silence dissent and suppress legitimate democratic demands in Ladakh.
The case has drawn significant public attention, with civil society groups, political leaders, and human rights advocates expressing concern over the use of preventive detention laws against peaceful activists. They argue that Wangchuk’s detention reflects a worrying trend of shrinking democratic space and undermines the constitutional principles of free expression and protest.
The Supreme Court’s decision to seek responses from the Centre and the Ladakh administration marks the first judicial scrutiny of the controversial detention. The outcome of the October 14 hearing will be closely watched, as it could set a precedent for how preventive detention laws are applied in cases involving civil society activists and public protests.