Ladakh Violence: SC to Hear Plea Seeking Immediate Release of Sonam Wangchuk from Jodhpur Jail on Oct 15
SC to hear plea seeking immediate release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk detained under National Security Act
The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred till October 15 the hearing on a plea filed by Gitanjali Angmo seeking the immediate release of climate activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk, who has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since September 26 and lodged in Jodhpur jail.
The Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria was scheduled to hear the matter today.
However, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, requested the court to take up the case tomorrow, citing a prior engagement before a special Bench in the Chief Justice’s court at 2 pm.
Granting the request, the Bench listed the matter for hearing on Wednesday, i.e. October 15.
The 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.
Previously, on October 6, the Court has issued notice in the plea. At the outset, Sibal had argued that the detention was illegal and violative of fundamental rights. He pointed out that neither Wangchuk’s family nor his counsel had been supplied with the grounds of detention, as required by law.
SG Mehta had countered that the grounds had already been served on the detenue. “Law requires service on the detenue and we have done that,” he said, adding that Dr. Angmo’s request to meet her husband “is being considered.” The Court directed the SG to examine the feasibility of supplying the detention order to Dr. Angmo, noting that it had already been served on Wangchuk himself. Sibal insisted, “How do I challenge the order without knowing the grounds?”
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. The plea alleges that Wangchuk was denied basic rights; including access to his wife, lawyer, and essential medicines, and that his detention constitutes a “blatant violation” of Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. The petition further states that the arbitrary transfer to Jodhpur, harassment of students and staff of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), and alleged “false propaganda” linking Wangchuk to foreign entities reflect malafide state action aimed at suppressing democratic dissent and peaceful environmental activism.
Dr. Angmo has also highlighted the growing distress among the people of Ladakh following Wangchuk’s detention. The petition refers to the recent suicide of a member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, reportedly due to depression after Wangchuk’s arrest, calling it evidence of the “psychological toll” on the community.
The petitioner has sought issuance of a writ of habeas corpus, immediate production of Wangchuk before the Supreme Court, quashing of his detention order, and directions for his prompt release. "I have sought relief from the SUPREME COURT OF INDIA through a HABEAS CORPUS petition against @Wangchuk66’s detention. It is one week today. Still I have no information about Sonam Wangchuk’s health, the condition he is in nor the grounds of detention," she wrote on X on October 2 morning. Angmo, who also serves as CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the detention, saying she has not been informed of her husband’s health condition or the grounds for his arrest.
Earlier, she had written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking intervention, alleging a “witch-hunt” against Wangchuk for his activism over the past four years. A day later, she accused the Centre of “misusing” the Ladakh Police to “torture” locals after the violence, drawing parallels with colonial-era oppression. “Is India really free? In 1857, 24,000 Britishers used 135,000 Indian sepoys to oppress 300 million Indians under orders from the Queen. Today, a dozen administrators are misusing 2,400 Ladakhi police to oppress and torture 3 lakh Ladakhis under orders of the MHA,” she had posted on X.
Case Title: Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo v. Union of India & Ors.
Hearing Date: October 14, 2025
Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria