Sonam Wangchuk undaunted: Wife Gitanjali Angmo finally meets him in jail

Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo finally met her husband in Jodhpur jail on the evening of 7 October, Tuesday — their first in-person meeting since his arrest under the National Security Act (NSA) following the 24 September violence in Leh.

After the meeting, Angmo posted on X: “Met @Wangchuk66 today with @RitamKhare and got the detention order which we will challenge.”

She added that Wangchuk’s “spirit is undaunted. His commitment resolute! His resilience intact! He conveys heartfelt thanks to all for their support and solidarity”.

Wangchuk, who was leading a 35-day hunger strike to demand statehood for Ladakh and Sixth Schedule constitutional safeguards, was detained under the NSA after violent protests erupted, resulting in four deaths and the burning of government vehicles, buildings including a BJP office in Leh.

He ended his hunger strike following the violence — but was shifted over 1,000 km from Ladakh to Jodhpur jail.

Authorities allege his activism was “prejudicial to the security of the state time and again”, a claim his supporters as well as independent observers have vehemently rejected.

Earlier, Angmo had told the Tribune newspaper and others that the authorities were yet to provide her with a copy of the detention order and that officials had stopped taking her calls.

Before Angmo’s visit, Leh Apex Body legal adviser Mustafa Haji and Wangchuk’s elder brother Tsetan Dorjey Ley were able to meet the detained activist on 4 October, Saturday.

According to Wangchuk’s lawyer, he remains in good spirits and reiterated, “There should be an independent judicial inquiry into the killing of our four people and unless that is done I am prepared to stay in jail.”

He continues to urge the Ladakh movement to “keep peace and unity and continue with our struggle peacefully—in the true Gandhian way of non-violence”.

The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have both also refused to continue to engage in talks with the union government of the territory until a probe is initiated, detainees from the day of unrest released (including Wangchuk) and charges dropped, and the Government of India visibly moves to restore the people’s confidence rather than engage in labels of ‘anti-national’ and ‘separatist’ for articulating their demands.

Angmo’s visit to Jodhpur jail came shortly after the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre and the administration of Ladakh, in response to her habeas corpus petition challenging her husband’s detention and seeking his immediate release.

During the court hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Angmo, pressed for the grounds of detention to be shared with her, arguing, “Without the grounds of detention, the detention order could not be challenged.”

The bench responded, “First, make a request, and if it’s rejected, then approach the court”.

Wangchuk’s case has drawn national attention, with Angmo also writing to the President and Prime Minister, denouncing the move as a “witch-hunt” and condemning what she called attempts to portray her husband and Ladakh’s peaceful activism as “anti-national”.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case further on 14 October.