New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a petition challenging the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act to January 8. The plea has been filed by his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, who has alleged that the detention is illegal and violates Wangchuk’s fundamental rights.
A Bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice P B Varale deferred the matter after indicating the need for further consideration. During the brief hearing, Justice Kumar observed that Justice Varale wished to examine the case in detail. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Wangchuk, agreed to the court’s suggestion.
The matter had earlier been heard by a Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N V Anjaria. On November 24, the apex court had also deferred the proceedings after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, sought time to respond to a rejoinder filed by Angmo. Earlier, on October 29, the court had asked the Centre and the Ladakh administration to file their responses to the amended plea.
Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the stringent NSA on September 26, two days after violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The protests had resulted in the deaths of four people and left nearly 90 injured. The government accused Wangchuk of inciting the violence.
In her amended petition, Angmo has contended that the detention order is based on stale first information reports, vague allegations and speculative claims, with no proximate or live link to the stated grounds for preventive detention. The plea argues that such use of preventive powers amounts to an arbitrary exercise of authority and undermines constitutional liberties and due process.
The petition further states that Wangchuk, who has been widely recognised for over three decades at the state, national and international levels for his work in grassroots education, innovation and environmental conservation, has been unfairly targeted. Angmo has maintained that the violence in Leh on September 24 cannot be attributed to Wangchuk’s actions or statements in any manner.
According to the plea, Wangchuk had publicly condemned the violence through his social media platforms and described it as the saddest day of his life, stating that violence would derail Ladakh’s long-standing peaceful movement and “tapasya” for justice.
The National Security Act empowers the Centre and state governments to detain individuals to prevent acts deemed prejudicial to the defence and security of the country. Such detention can extend up to 12 months, though the order may be revoked earlier.
