New Delhi— The Supreme Court of India will on Monday hear a petition filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA). She has termed the action “illegal” and an arbitrary move that violates his fundamental rights. A bench led by Justices Aravind Kumar and N. V. Anjaria is expected to take up the matter.
The case was previously deferred on November 24 when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, sought additional time to respond to Angmo’s rejoinder. Earlier, on October 29, the court had issued notices to the Centre and the Ladakh administration on her amended petition.
In the amended plea, Angmo argues that the detention order is based on “stale FIRs, vague allegations, and speculative claims,” with no direct or proximate link to any real threat. She contends that the use of preventive detention powers in this case undermines constitutional safeguards and represents a “gross abuse of authority.”
The petition also stresses that Wangchuk, widely respected for his decades-long work in education, environmental innovation, and sustainable development, is being unfairly targeted. It states that the violence in Leh on September 24 — which left four people dead and 90 injured — cannot be attributed to his actions or remarks. According to Angmo, Wangchuk had publicly condemned the violence and warned that it jeopardised Ladakh’s peaceful “tapasya” of the last five years.
Wangchuk was detained under the NSA on September 26, two days after the clashes triggered by protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh. Authorities alleged that the activist played a role in provoking unrest, a charge the petition disputes strongly.
The NSA authorises the Centre and states to detain individuals deemed a threat to national security or public order, with detention extending up to 12 months unless revoked earlier.
