SC to hear plea challenging Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under NSA on October 6

The Supreme Court will on October 6, hear a petition filed by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, seeking his immediate release and questioning his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

The case is listed before a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, according to the apex court’s cause list for Monday.

Wangchuk, known for his environmental and social work in Ladakh, was detained on September 26 under the NSA—two days after protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent, leaving four dead and 90 injured. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, Rajasthan.

Angmo’s petition, filed through senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare, challenges the legality of invoking the NSA, which permits detention without trial for up to 12 months. The plea seeks a habeas corpus order directing authorities to produce Wangchuk before the court and to grant his family immediate access to him.

The petition names the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ladakh administration, the deputy commissioner of Leh, and the Jodhpur jail superintendent as respondents. It argues that the detention is “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional,” violating Wangchuk’s fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution.

According to the plea, Wangchuk was detained while recovering from a prolonged fast highlighting Ladakh’s demand for constitutional safeguards. It alleges that he was moved to Jodhpur without being allowed medicines, personal belongings, or contact with his family and lawyers. His family claims they have not been informed of the grounds for detention.

Angmo further alleged that she has been kept under “virtual house arrest” in Leh, and that students and staff at the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL)—founded by Wangchuk—have faced harassment and intrusive investigations.

The petition also mentions that a member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association reportedly took his own life following Wangchuk’s detention, reflecting the deep distress among locals.

Angmo has urged the court to direct authorities to provide Wangchuk with medicines, clothes, food, and other essentials, and to submit his medical report to the court. The plea also seeks an end to what it describes as the harassment of HIAL staff and students.