Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife Says She’s Under Constant Watch, Files Affidavit In Supreme Court
Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, alleges being followed and surveilled by IB and Rajasthan Police
In a fresh affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, 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, who is the petitioner in the case challenging Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), stated that she visited her husband at Jodhpur Central Jail on October 7 and October 11, 2025, and 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. She alleged that during her meeting with Wangchuk, DCP Manglesh and a lady constable sat within earshot, took notes of their conversation, and later, on the instruction of the Jail Superintendent, photographed her private legal notes prepared for Wangchuk’s legal defence.
Angmo also claimed she was prevented from meeting anyone or visiting other places in Jodhpur and was escorted to the railway station, where the officers even boarded her train and travelled for two hours before alighting at Merta Road Junction.
She further stated that since holding a press conference in Delhi on September 30, she has been constantly followed by a car and a man on a bike each time she leaves her accommodation, alleging continued surveillance in the national capital.
“These actions are wholly inconsistent with my rights as a free citizen to travel, speak, and meet my husband without interference,” Angmo asserted in her affidavit, adding that the treatment meted out to her reflects a broader pattern of intimidation surrounding her husband’s detention.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case tomorrow, 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.
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.
Affidavit Date: October 14, 2025
Affidavit By: Gitanjali J. Angmo