The Supreme Court has issued notices to the central government, the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and the Rajasthan government in response to a plea filed by Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA). The bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, adjourned the hearing until next Tuesday, October 14.
Angmo's petition seeks her husband's immediate release and access. She alleges that Wangchuk's detention is "illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional", violating fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. The plea accuses authorities of suppressing peaceful environmental activism and democratic dissent.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Angmo, informed the court that she has not been allowed to meet her husband and requested access. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, stated that the grounds for detention had been given to Wangchuk. He added that a list of 12 people had been permitted to meet Wangchuk and that Angmo's request to meet him was under consideration. The court noted that while the grounds of detention were served to Wangchuk, there was no legal reason not to provide a copy to his wife. The bench asked the Centre to examine the feasibility of supplying the detention order to Wangchuk's wife.
Sibal also highlighted the need to provide Wangchuk, who had been fasting before his detention, with medicines, clothing, and other necessities. Angmo's plea also raises concerns about the harassment and intimidation of students and staff at the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, and alleges that Angmo herself has been placed under virtual house arrest. The plea demands that Wangchuk be provided with essential items and calls for authorities to cease harassment of HIAL members and students, also requesting a medical report to be presented to the Supreme Court.
Wangchuk, a widely recognized environmentalist and social reformer from Ladakh, was detained on September 26, following violent clashes in the Union Territory related to demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status. These clashes resulted in fatalities and injuries. He was subsequently moved to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.
Angmo's petition argues that Wangchuk's detention is not genuinely related to national security or public order but is intended to silence a respected environmentalist and social reformer. The petition also addresses a "systematic campaign" that has allegedly been launched against Wangchuk, falsely linking him to Pakistan and China. It asserts that such propaganda is baseless and aims to discredit his peaceful movement to protect Ladakh's ecology. The plea emphasizes Wangchuk's consistent advocacy for peaceful methods to highlight the plight of Ladakh's environment and the aspirations of its people for constitutional safeguards.
