**SC Issues Notice to Centre on Sonam Wangchuk’s Detention**
*By Chanshimla Varah | Oct 06, 2025, 11:30 AM*
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the central government in response to a plea challenging the detention of Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk. The petition was filed by his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, under Article 32 as a habeas corpus petition, contesting Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, following violent clashes in Ladakh last month.
The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on October 14 and has sought responses from all parties involved.
**Legal Challenge**
Gitanjali Angmo’s petition names multiple respondents, including the Union Government, Ladakh Administration, and the Superintendent of Jodhpur Central Jail.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Angmo, argued that the grounds for Wangchuk’s detention should have been communicated to her. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta countered by stating there is no legal obligation to inform Wangchuk’s wife of these grounds.
**Interim Relief Sought**
Sibal also requested interim relief for medical support for Wangchuk. Mehta informed the court that Wangchuk had not sought any medication during his medical examination but assured that necessary medical supplies would be provided if required.
When Sibal sought permission for Angmo to meet her husband, Justice Kumar responded that no formal request for visitation had been made. The judge directed that such a request should be made first, and if denied, the matter could then be brought before the court.
**Petition’s Arguments**
The petition asserts that Wangchuk’s detention is not genuinely related to national security or public order. Rather, it represents an attempt to silence a respected environmentalist and social reformer advocating democratic and ecological causes.
It highlights that Wangchuk engaged only in peaceful Gandhian protests in Ladakh, exercising his constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. Therefore, his detention is contended to violate his freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Additionally, Angmo has challenged the transfer of Wangchuk to Jodhpur Central Jail, located over a thousand kilometers away from Ladakh, raising concerns about the implications of such distant detention.
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The Supreme Court’s forthcoming hearing on October 14 will further address these critical issues surrounding the detention of Sonam Wangchuk.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-on-plea-against-wangchuk-s-detention/story
