Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, detained since September 2025 under the National Security Act, was released after the Union Government withdrew its detention order ahead of a scheduled Supreme Court hearing.
The Union Government on March 14 revoked the detention of Ladakh activist and climate campaigner Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act, 1980, days before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife challenging the legality of his imprisonment.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, Wangchuk had been detained by the Leh District Magistrate on September 26, 2025, following protests in Ladakh demanding statehood that allegedly turned violent. The detention order had accused him of indulging in activities prejudicial to national security. He was subsequently transferred to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.
His wife, Dr. Gitanjali Angmo, approached the Supreme Court on October 3, 2025, filing a writ of habeas corpus challenging the detention. The Court issued notice to the Centre on October 6, 2025, and the matter was heard on multiple dates before a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice PB Varale. The next hearing had been fixed for March 17.
The Centre revoked the detention order with immediate effect before that hearing could take place, citing that Wangchuk had already served nearly half of the maximum detention period permissible under the National Security Act.
During the course of the hearings, the Supreme Court raised several pointed questions about the conduct of the detention. The bench repeatedly questioned the nexus between Wangchuk’s speeches and the violence that occurred on September 24, 2025. Justice Aravind Kumar remarked at one stage that the Centre was reading too much into his speeches, while Justice Varale noted that Wangchuk had in fact expressed concern over youth abandoning Gandhian methods of protest.
The Court also flagged serious concerns over the translation of Wangchuk’s speeches, observing that translations submitted by the Union Government appeared significantly longer than the original speeches. The bench directed the Centre to furnish accurate translations of all speeches along with original records.
A separate dispute arose over four videos referenced in the detention order. Wangchuk maintained that the videos were supplied to him only on October 23, a day before the Advisory Board hearing, and that the pendrive he received on September 29 did not contain those videos. The Court ordered that the original pendrive be placed in a sealed cover before it, and questioned whether any endorsement had been obtained confirming that Wangchuk had actually viewed the video content.
On the question of health, the Court on February 4 urged the Centre to reconsider the detention given Wangchuk’s deteriorating medical condition. The Centre declined, stating his health was satisfactory and that he was receiving treatment at AIIMS Jodhpur. The Centre later conveyed that no exception could be made on medical grounds in a preventive detention matter.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj represented the Union Government and the Leh administration respectively.
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
