Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, has approached the Supreme Court challenging his arrest under the National Security Act (NSA). In her habeas corpus petition, she has sought his immediate release, calling the detention illegal and a clear violation of procedural safeguards.
Petition Highlights Illegal Detention and Lack of Access
Angmo stated that she has not been able to contact Wangchuk since his arrest on September 26. She has not received a copy of the detention order, which she described as a breach of mandatory rules under the NSA.
“I am yet to get a copy of his detention order. This is a violation of rules. I have had no contact with my husband since his detention,” she said.
According to the petition, the arrest violates both procedural safeguards and Wangchuk’s fundamental rights. She has asked the apex court to intervene urgently to secure his release.
Background of the Arrest
Wangchuk was arrested on September 26, two days after violent clashes broke out in Ladakh during protests demanding statehood and inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The clashes on September 24 left four people dead and several injured.
Authorities have accused Wangchuk of instigating the protestors and maintaining alleged links with a Pakistan PIO (intelligence officer). He has been lodged in Jodhpur jail since his arrest.
Appeal to the President and Allegations of Targeting
On Wednesday, Angmo also wrote a three-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention. In the letter, she alleged that her husband was being targeted for his work in the region.
“We request for an unconditional release of Wangchuk, a person who can never be a threat to anyone, leave alone his Nation,” she wrote, describing the ongoing action against him as a “witch-hunt.”
Surveillance and Pressure on HIAL
Angmo, who is also the founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), alleged that she is currently under CRPF surveillance. She pointed to a recent communication from a special investigation team seeking details about HIAL’s students and staff, and said that two members of the institute were taken into custody three days ago.
She added that after Wangchuk’s arrest, a station house officer informed her that her legal rights would be explained, but that never happened.
