Supreme Court seeks Centre and Ladakh administration response over plea challenging Sonam Wangchuk’s detention. Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, filed an amended plea on Wednesday, October 29, challenging the climate activist Wangchuk's detention. After that, the Supreme Court requested a response from the Union Territory of Ladakh and the Centre within ten days.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria posted the hearing of the amended plea on November 24. The bench allowed senior advocate Kapil Sibal to file a rejoinder, if there is any.
Wangchuk's wife filed a habeas corpus petition to seek the release of Wangchuk, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) after the violent protests in Ladakh in late September.
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After that, Angmo stated that she intended to challenge the grounds for Wangchuk's detention that the Ladakh administration had used to justify her husband's arrest under the NSA. The Supreme Court granted her permission to amend her petition on October 16.
Before October 16, Angmo's plea had called her husband's detention "illegal". She made an argument that the detention was aimed at silencing a respected environmentalist and social reformer for espousing democratic and ecological causes.
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Ladakh Protest in September
Two days after violent protests calling for Ladakh's statehood and Sixth Schedule status resulted in four fatalities and ninety injuries in the Union territory, Wangchuk was arrested on September 26 under the strict National Security Act (NSA). He was charged by the government with inciting the violence. Then he was subsequently transported to Jodhpur Central Jail, where he is presently being held.
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The Ladakh administration submitted a detailed affidavit to the Supreme Court on this matter of releasing Wangchuk, a day before the October 16 hearing.
