Sonam Wangchuk’s wife moves SC, seeks end to controversial NSA detention

Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking his immediate release from detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

Wangchuk has been lodged in Jodhpur jail since September 26, following protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections that left four people dead and nearly 90 injured.

The plea, filed through senior lawyer Vivek Tankha and advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare, questions the legal basis for invoking the NSA against Wangchuk and seeks urgent listing of the case. It calls on the Ladakh union territory administration to produce him before the Supreme Court and allow both telephonic and in-person access for his family.

Angmo’s petition describes Wangchuk’s detention as “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional,” claiming it violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. It highlights Wangchuk’s long-standing reputation as an internationally recognised innovator, environmentalist, and social reformer who has promoted peaceful, Gandhian methods to address Ladakh’s ecological and democratic concerns.

According to the plea, Wangchuk was detained while recovering from a prolonged fast advocating for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. He was reportedly shifted to Jodhpur without access to medicine, personal belongings, or legal counsel. No formal grounds for his detention have been shared with him or his family.

The petition also alleges that Angmo has been placed under virtual house arrest in Leh and that students and staff of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, are facing harassment and intrusive investigations. It accuses authorities of using his detention to suppress democratic dissent and peaceful environmental activism.

The plea mentions the psychological impact of Wangchuk’s detention on the Ladakh community, citing a recent suicide of a Ladakh Buddhist Association member allegedly linked to distress over the detention. It requests the court to direct authorities to provide Wangchuk with medicine, food, clothing, and medical care, and to submit all records and grounds for his detention. It also seeks protection for HIAL members and students from further harassment.