Sonam Wangchuk’s wife moves Supreme Court, Habeas corpus plea demands Wangchuk’s production before court, questions NSA invocation
New Delhi, October 3: Climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) has reached the Supreme Court, with his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, filing a petition seeking his immediate release and questioning the legality of the action. Wangchuk, a globally recognised environmentalist known for his peaceful advocacy, was detained on September 26, two days after protests demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule turned violent, leaving four people dead and over 90 injured. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, Rajasthan.
In her habeas corpus petition, Angmo has urged the apex court to direct the Ladakh Union Territory administration to produce Wangchuk before the court without delay and to quash the preventive detention order issued against him. Filed through senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare, the plea argues that invoking the NSA, a stringent law typically reserved for threats to national security, in Wangchuk’s case is unjustified and amounts to an abuse of power.
The petition names the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ladakh UT administration, the Deputy Commissioner of Leh, and the Superintendent of Jodhpur Central Jail as respondents. It also seeks immediate permission for Angmo to communicate with her husband, both in person and over the phone, citing the denial of access as a violation of due process and human rights.
Angmo’s petition describes Wangchuk’s detention as “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional,” claiming it infringes upon his fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law, freedom of expression, protection of life and liberty, and safeguards against arbitrary arrest and detention. The plea emphasises that Wangchuk has always followed non-violent, Gandhian principles in his activism and has consistently advocated for ecological balance, democratic rights, and sustainable development in Ladakh.
