Sonam Wangchuk Case: Supreme Court Permits Amendment in Habeas Corpus Petition
SC allows amendment in habeas corpus plea filed by Gitanjali Angmo for release of Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk; next hearing on November 24
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed an application seeking to place on record additional facts and grounds in the habeas corpus petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh-based education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is reportedly lodged in Jodhpur jail under the National Security Act (NSA) following violent clashes in Ladakh.
The Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria was hearing the plea seeking Wangchuk’s release, when Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, informed the Court that an amendment application (No. 31653) had already been filed.
When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union of India, stated that the Centre received the application only the previous evening, Justice Kumar remarked that the Bench had not been able to trace it in the morning.
Justice Aravind Kumar further observed, “Are you raising additional grounds? It’s too voluminous… We’ll allow the amendment.”
Sibal also pointed out a typographical error in the petition, noting that “on page 99, it should be paragraph 3, not paragraph 4.”
The Court then passed an order allowing the petitioners to place on record the subsequent facts and grounds. It directed the petitioner to file the amended petition within one week, while granting the respondents ten days to file their additional response. Any rejoinder is to be filed within a week thereafter.
The matter will be heard next on November 24.
Previously on October 15, 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.
As per PTI reports, 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.
Notably, in a fresh affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, Gitanjali J. Angmo has 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 v. Union of India & Ors.
Hearing Date: October 29, 2025
Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria