Supreme Court to hear plea challenging Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under NSA today

The Supreme Court is set to hear on Wednesday a petition challenging the detention of Ladakh-based climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA). The plea, filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, questions the legality of his detention and the procedure adopted by the authorities.

Earlier this month, a Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria granted Angmo permission to amend her writ petition after her counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, sought to incorporate new details recently disclosed by the government.

Sibal informed the court that the Centre had since provided the grounds of detention to Wangchuk, necessitating changes to the original plea. Following the submission, the court scheduled the matter for hearing today.

The initial petition argued that the authorities had failed to comply with Section 8 of the NSA, which requires that detainees be informed of the grounds for their detention within a stipulated period.

However, in its affidavit, the Leh administration, represented by District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk have maintained that the reasons for Wangchuk’s detention had been duly communicated within the mandated timeframe.

In a parallel development, the Advisory Board constituted under the NSA recently reviewed the case. The three-member panel, chaired by former judge M.K. Hujura and including District Judge Manoj Parihar and social activist Spal Jayesh Angmo, conducted a three-hour in-camera session at Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.

Both Wangchuk and his wife were present during the proceedings, which examined the administration’s justification for invoking the NSA and Wangchuk’s counter-representation.

Wangchuk, known for his pioneering work in sustainable technology and environmental conservation in Ladakh, was detained under the NSA earlier this year, a move that triggered widespread protests and condemnation from civil society groups. Activists and rights organisations have described his detention as arbitrary and an attempt to stifle peaceful dissent.

The Supreme Court’s decision on the matter is expected to have significant implications for the use of the NSA against activists and environmental campaigners in India.

With IANS Inputs