The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea on November 24, 2025, challenging the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA). The petition, filed by Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, terms the detention illegal, arbitrary, and a violation of his fundamental rights.
Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria will preside over the hearing. The court had previously sought responses from the Centre and the Ladakh administration regarding the amended plea.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, following violent protests in Ladakh where demonstrators demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region. Four people died, and 90 were injured in the protests. Authorities have accused Wangchuk of inciting the unrest.
The plea argues that the detention is based on "stale FIRs, vague imputations, and speculative assertions," lacking connection to genuine concerns of public order or national security. It claims the detention represents an abuse of preventive detention powers and undermines constitutional liberties. The petition also alleges procedural violations, including delayed communication of detention grounds. According to the plea, complete grounds for detention were supplied after a 28-day delay, violating Section 8 of the NSA, which requires communication within five days, extendable to ten only in exceptional cases.
The petition highlights that actions against Wangchuk, including notices for land lease cancellation, FCRA issues, a proposed CBI inquiry, and tax summons, occurred close to elections and ongoing negotiations between local bodies and the Ministry of Home Affairs. It alleges these steps form a coordinated attempt to silence a respected public figure known for his work in education, innovation, and environmental conservation.
The plea maintains that Wangchuk condemned the violence in Leh and cannot be linked to it. It states that Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through social media, emphasizing that violence would lead to the failure of Ladakh's peaceful pursuit of its demands.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB), an amalgam of social, political, and religious groups spearheading the agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule status, has submitted a draft proposal to the Centre demanding a general amnesty for Wangchuk and other detainees. The LAB considers this amnesty essential for the smooth continuation of talks.
The draft proposal emphasizes that granting amnesty would serve as a significant confidence-building measure, reinforcing trust between the people of Ladakh and the Indian government. The document references the September 24 Leh violence, stating that the events shook the people of Ladakh. The LAB has also demanded a judicial inquiry into the violence.
