The Supreme Court of India has postponed until January 29, 2026, the hearing on a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk has been held under the National Security Act (NSA). Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale announced the deferral.
Angmo argued in court that the detaining authority had failed to adequately consider relevant facts and instead relied on irrelevant information. She emphasized that her husband’s speech in Leh aimed to advocate for non-violence, claiming that he was being misrepresented as a criminal.
Furthermore, she stated that Wangchuk was not given an opportunity to understand the complete grounds of his detention or to respond to the authorities about the case against him. The legal plea contends that his detention is not only illegal but also an arbitrary act that infringes upon Wangchuk’s fundamental rights.
The court had previously delayed the case on November 24 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the union territory of Ladakh, requested additional time to respond to Angmo’s submission. On October 29, the court sought replies from the Centre and the Ladakh administration concerning an amended version of Angmo’s plea.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2022, which followed violent protests in Ladakh that resulted in four fatalities and 90 injuries. These protests were driven by demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region, with the government accusing Wangchuk of inciting the unrest.
Angmo’s amended plea claims that the detention order is based on outdated FIRs, vague allegations, and unsubstantiated assertions. It asserts that the order lacks a legitimate connection to the reasons for Wangchuk’s detention and thus lacks any factual or legal justification. The plea argues that the arbitrary use of preventive power constitutes a severe misuse of authority, threatening constitutional freedoms and due process.
Moreover, Angmo noted that, after decades of recognition for his impactful contributions to grassroots education, innovation, and environmental advocacy, it is absurd that Wangchuk is now being targeted. She stated that the violence in Leh on September 24 cannot be linked to her husband’s actions or words. Wangchuk himself condemned the violence on social media, indicating that it jeopardized the peaceful initiatives he had supported over the last five years.
The NSA allows for detentions to prevent individuals from acting in ways deemed harmful to the defense of India, with a maximum detention period of 12 months, although release can occur sooner.
Original Source: https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2026/01/14/sc-adjourns-hearing-on-sonam-wangchuks-detention-2/
Category: National,State News
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Publish Date: 2026-01-14 00:30:00
