Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Detention of Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk
Supreme Court Hearing Scheduled
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is poised to continue its hearing on Monday regarding a petition submitted by Gitanjali J. Angmo, the spouse of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently detained in Leh.
According to the court's published schedule, a panel consisting of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria will address this case on December 8.
During the last session, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government and the Ladakh administration, requested more time to respond to the recent rejoinder filed by the petitioner's side.
In response to this request, the bench led by Justice Aravind Kumar postponed the proceedings, rescheduling the matter for December 8.
Previously, the Supreme Court had allowed Angmo to revise her petition, which described Wangchuk's detention as "illegal" and an "arbitrary exercise infringing on his fundamental rights," instructing the Centre, the UT administration, and prison officials to submit additional responses.
"The petitioner is allowed to amend the petition and submit a revised version within a week. The amended counter must be filed within ten days after that. Any rejoinder should be submitted within a week thereafter. The case is listed for November 24," the Supreme Court's order issued on October 29 stated.
In her revised petition, Angmo argues that the detention order was issued without proper consideration and that essential procedural safeguards under the National Security Act (NSA) were overlooked. She also claims that the authorities acted hastily and failed to provide sufficient grounds for the detention in a timely and meaningful way, which deprived Wangchuk of the chance to make an effective appeal.
The Ladakh administration, in its previous affidavit, asserted that the detention was justified due to Wangchuk's alleged involvement in inciting unrest in Leh. They further claimed that the reasons for detention were communicated within the legally required timeframe and that the detention advisory board later upheld the decision.
Wangchuk, a well-known environmentalist and advocate for educational reform, was detained in September and subsequently moved to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.