**SC Issues Notice to Centre on Sonam Wangchuk’s Detention**
*By Chanshimla Varah | October 6, 2025 | 11:30 AM*
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the central government regarding a plea challenging the detention of Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk. The plea, filed by his wife Gitanjali Angmo under Article 32 as a habeas corpus petition, contests Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980. This follows 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 and Respondents
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 that there is no legal obligation to inform Wangchuk’s wife of these grounds.
### Interim Relief Sought
Sibal also requested interim relief to ensure medical support for Wangchuk. Mehta informed the court that Wangchuk had not asked for any medication during his medical examination but assured that necessary supplies would be provided if required.
When Sibal sought the court’s permission for Angmo to meet her husband, Justice Kumar noted that no formal request had been made. “First, make a request, and if it is denied, go to court,” the judge stated.
### Petition’s Argument and Legal Strategy
The petition asserts that Wangchuk’s detention is not genuinely connected to national security or public order. Instead, it claims the detention is an effort to silence a respected environmentalist and social reformer advocating democratic and ecological causes.
Wangchuk is said to have engaged only in peaceful Gandhian protests in Ladakh, exercising his constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. Therefore, the petition argues, his detention violates the right to free expression under Article 19.
Additionally, Angmo has challenged Wangchuk’s transfer to Jodhpur Central Jail, located over a thousand kilometers from Ladakh.
The Supreme Court’s notice to the Centre marks a critical step in this ongoing legal battle over the detention of a prominent activist. Further developments are expected following the hearing scheduled for mid-October.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-on-plea-against-wangchuk-s-detention/story
