Supreme Court adjourns plea against Wangchuk’s NSA detention to 8 Dec
Wangchuk’s wife argues activist’s incarceration is based on “stale FIRs and vague imputations”, Centre seeks more time to file response
The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a plea to 8 December that challenged the detention of jailed climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA). The plea was filed by Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J. Angmo.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria deferred the matter after solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, sought more time to file a response.
The top court had, on 29 October, sought responses from the Centre and the Ladakh administration on an amended plea filed by Angmo. In her latest filing, she contends that the detention order is “illegal, and an arbitrary exercise violating his fundamental rights”.
According to the amended petition, the detention is grounded in “stale FIRs, vague imputations and speculative assertions” with no proximate or live connection to the alleged grounds for detention. It argues that such use of preventive detention powers amounts to “a gross abuse of authority” and strikes at the core of constitutional liberties and due process.
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The plea further says it is “wholly preposterous” to target Wangchuk after more than three decades of recognition for his contribution to grassroots education, innovation and conservation in Ladakh and across India. It says the violence that broke out in Leh on 24 September cannot be attributed to his actions or statements in any manner.
According to the petitioner, Wangchuk condemned the violence on his social media accounts, calling it the “saddest day of his life” and warning that violence would undermine Ladakh’s ongoing peaceful struggle.
Wangchuk was detained under the NSA on 26 September, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and at least 90 injured. The government accused him of inciting the unrest.
The NSA empowers the Centre and state governments to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India.” The detention period can extend up to 12 months, though it may be revoked earlier.