Sonam Wagchuk to Supreme Court: No intentions to overthrow government

Sonam Wangchuk today before Supreme Court denied allegations of inciting an “Arab Spring” or attempting to overthrow the government.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale that police relied on a selective video. "Look at the video. What he says is if the government of India will not give statehood, he will overthrow the government like the Arab Spring. He does not say so. I will give the transcript," Sibal submitted.

Sibal also refuted the allegation that Wangchuk said the people of Ladakh would not help the Indian Army if the government did not provide statehood.

The hearing will now continue on February 2, 2026.

A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the detention of Ladakh-based activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA). Sibal had earlier stated that the detention order is unconstitutional and procedurally flawed. Court was told that the detention was founded on four grounds, including four videos dated September 24, which were never supplied to the detenue. “I have a right of representation to the advisory board and the detaining authority. That right got truncated because these videos were not given to me,” Sibal had submitted.

Court was earlier told that the detention order dated September 26, 2025, relied primarily on four videos dated September 10, 11 and 24, which were cited as the most proximate material leading to the detention. However, despite the grounds of detention being supplied on September 29, these four videos were not furnished to the detenue, amounting to a clear violation of Article 22 of the Constitution. Sibal had argued that the law was well settled that failure to supply documents relied upon in the grounds of detention renders the detention illegal, regardless of whether the detenue was otherwise aware of their contents.

A key plank of Sibal’s argument was a video recorded on September 24, when Wangchuk broke his hunger strike after violence erupted. Playing the clip for the bench, Sibal had earlier said the speech clearly showed Wangchuk appealing for an immediate end to violence and distancing himself from any unlawful acts. He argued that this was the most relevant and proximate material, yet it was deliberately not placed before the detaining authority, thereby misleading it into believing that Wangchuk’s actions threatened public order.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had defended the Centre asserting that Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA followed due process and his legal rights were not violated. The Leh District Magistrate in an affidavit has told the Apex Court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act on September 26 was lawful, citing his alleged role in inciting violence in Ladakh. The DM has confirmed Wangchuk was informed of his detention, the grounds were communicated, and the order forwarded to the Advisory Board.

Gitanjali J. Angmo alleged that she is being followed and placed under surveillance by Intelligence Bureau officials and the Rajasthan Police both in Jodhpur and Delhi, calling it a violation of her fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution. Angmo stated that she was escorted from the airport by IB and police officers who insisted she travel with them in a vehicle with white curtains drawn to block the view. According to the affidavit, the officers remained with her throughout the visit, including inside the office of the Jail Superintendent, and did not allow her to move freely in Jodhpur.

The present petition challenges Wangchuk’s continued detention as “illegal and politically motivated”, alleging that the invocation of the NSA is an attempt to stifle peaceful protest and dissent. Wangchuk, known for his environmental activism in Ladakh, was detained following a series of demonstrations demanding constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory. On October 6, the Court has issued notice in the plea.

According to the petition, Wangchuk, an internationally acclaimed innovator and social reformer, was detained on September 26, 2025, by the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, while he was recovering from a prolonged fast undertaken to demand constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. He was subsequently shifted to Central Jail, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, without being furnished the grounds of detention.

Case Title: Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo vs. Union of India & Ors.

Hearing Date: January 29, 2026

Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale