Sonam Wangchuk’s wife files habeas corpus plea Supreme Court
Plea challenges authorities’ decision to invoke NSA against Sonam Wangchuk
Ladakh Violence: Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife Moves Supreme Court Over Preventive Detention
New Delhi: In a significant development following the violent protests in Leh on September 24, Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, has approached the Supreme Court with a habeas corpus petition challenging her husband’s preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980.
The plea seeks urgent intervention from the apex court to clarify the circumstances surrounding Wangchuk’s detention and to secure his immediate release. According to Dr. Angmo, it has been over a week since her husband was reportedly taken into custody on September 26 and transferred to Jodhpur in Rajasthan, but no official communication has been received regarding the reasons for his detention or his current condition.
Dr. Angmo’s petition highlights the distress caused by the uncertainty surrounding Wangchuk’s whereabouts. She emphasised that his family has been left in the dark, with no information from authorities about the grounds on which he is being held, or about his health and well-being. The plea underlines the urgency of the matter, noting that prolonged preventive detention without transparency raises serious concerns about due process and human rights.
The Supreme Court has been requested to issue directions to the authorities to immediately disclose Wangchuk’s location and the reasons for his detention. The petition also calls for an assessment of whether the invocation of the NSA in this instance adheres to constitutional safeguards and established legal procedures.
Sonam Wangchuk, widely known as a climate and education activist from Ladakh, has been a prominent voice on environmental and regional issues. His detention comes amid rising tensions in Leh following the September 24 protests, which drew attention to local grievances and broader socio-political concerns. Wangchuk’s supporters have expressed alarm over his preventive detention, arguing that the move risks escalating unrest rather than calming it.
The habeas corpus petition underscores the delicate balance between maintaining public order and protecting fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Dr. Angmo’s appeal to the Supreme Court represents not just a personal plea for her husband’s release but also a call for transparency and accountability in the handling of preventive detention cases.
As the nation watches closely, the court’s intervention could have broader implications for civil liberties, legal oversight of preventive detention, and the handling of dissent in sensitive regions like Ladakh. Families, activists, and legal experts alike are awaiting the Supreme Court’s response to this urgent plea.