New Delhi: In a significant development amid escalating tensions in Ladakh, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and Ladakh administration on a habeas corpus petition filed by Geetanjali Angmo, wife of prominent activist and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 14, seeking responses on the legality of Wangchuk’s detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
Wangchuk, a globally-acclaimed innovator known for his Gandhian, non-violent advocacy on ecological and democratic issues, has been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail since September 26. His arrest came two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh turned deadly, claiming four lives and injuring 90 others.
The NSA invocation allows detention for up to 12 months without trial, a move Angmo’s petition, filed through senior advocate Vivek Tankha and lawyer Sarvam Ritam Khare, sharply contests.
The plea accuses the authorities of arbitrary and unconstitutional action, violating Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. It demands the immediate production of Wangchuk before the court, the quashing of the detention order, and access for family and lawyers. Angmo alleges her husband was swiftly shifted to Jodhpur without medications, personal belongings, or visitation rights, with no grounds disclosed for his custody.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta countered, dismissing the claims of denied medical aid and spousal visits as a “media-driven emotional ploy” to sway public opinion in Ladakh.
Wangchuk’s indefinite fast for Ladakh’s constitutional safeguards underscores the region’s simmering unrest.
As the apex court steps in, the case spotlights the fragile balance between security and civil liberties in India’s border frontiers.