The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to January 29 the hearing of a petition filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale passed the brief order deferring the matter without substantive hearing. This comes after multiple adjournments in the case, including on November 24 last year when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, sought more time to respond to a rejoinder submitted by the petitioner.
Angmo’s petition alleges that Wangchuk’s detention is an illegal and arbitrary exercise of state power, violating his fundamental rights under the Constitution. The plea states that the order is based on “stale FIRs, vague imputations and speculative assertions,” lacking any proximate or live connection to the grounds cited for detention.
“The detaining authority failed to apply its mind and relied on irrelevant material,” Angmo submitted before the court on Monday, further arguing that her husband was not furnished with complete grounds of detention or given a meaningful opportunity to make a representation against the order.
She also clarified that the tenor of Wangchuk’s speech at Leh — cited by authorities as grounds for detention — was peaceful in intent, aimed at preventing violence rather than inciting it. According to her, “facts were being manipulated to portray him as a criminal.”
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, under the stringent provisions of the NSA, just two days after violent protests in Leh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. The protests had resulted in four deaths and 90 injuries. Authorities have accused Wangchuk of playing a role in inciting the violence.
However, the amended petition categorically denies any such involvement, asserting that the events of September 24 “cannot be attributed to the actions or statements of Wangchuk in any manner.” Angmo also highlighted that Wangchuk publicly condemned the violence on his social media accounts, calling it the “saddest day of his life” and stating that it was a blow to Ladakh’s five-year-long peaceful struggle.
Sonam Wangchuk, known globally for his innovations in climate-resilient technologies and grassroots education, has received accolades at the state, national, and international levels. His sudden preventive detention, after decades of service in the public interest, is described in the petition as “wholly preposterous.”
The NSA allows the government to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner prejudicial to the defence of India or maintenance of public order. While the maximum permissible detention under the NSA is 12 months, the order can be revoked earlier.
The Supreme Court had earlier sought responses from the Centre and Ladakh administration on Angmo’s amended petition in October last year. With the latest adjournment, the matter will now be taken up on January 29.
