In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) announced a postponement of the hearing for a critical habeas corpus petition. This petition, filed by Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenges his preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA) of 1980. The detention followed the violence that erupted in Leh on September 24.
The case, which captures national attention, has been adjourned until October 15. The decision to defer the matter came after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Dr. Angmo, requested a delay due to a scheduling conflict, as he was required to appear before a special Bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai in another matter.
Previously, on October 6, the court had issued a notice to both the Union government and the Ladakh administration concerning Mr. Wangchuk’s detention. However, the Bench had left it to the discretion of the authorities whether to share the specific grounds of his detention with his wife, citing Section 8 of the NSA which dictates that such grounds are to be communicated solely to the detainee.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing both the central government and the Ladakh administration, contended that the detention grounds were promptly provided to Mr. Wangchuk, and therefore, no further obligation existed to share them with anyone else. In response, Mr. Sibal argued that without access to these crucial details, Dr. Angmo would be severely disadvantaged in presenting her habeas corpus plea and effectively demonstrating the arbitrary nature of the detention.
When Mr. Sibal highlighted that the petition was directly filed under Article 32—a provision for enforcing fundamental rights—given that the detention order originated from the Centre, the Bench inquired why the petitioner had not initially approached the High Court. Despite this, the court refrained from granting any interim relief, stating, “We will hear you all next week and decide.”
Nonetheless, the court recorded an assurance from Mr. Mehta that authorities would ensure Mr. Wangchuk receives all necessary medical attention in line with prison regulations. The official order noted: “It is observed that the detenue receives medical care as required and the same shall be facilitated as per the extant prison rules.”
Sonam Wangchuk, a distinguished Ramon Magsaysay awardee recognized for his pioneering efforts in sustainable education and environmental innovation, was taken into custody under the NSA after violent protests in Leh resulted in four civilian deaths and multiple injuries. Authorities have alleged that his speeches, which included references to “self-immolation” as a form of protest, posed a threat to public order.
Dr. Angmo’s petition urges the detaining authorities to present her husband before the court. She emphasized that since his transfer to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan on September 26, there has been no official information regarding his health or the precise reasons for his detention. Furthermore, she has accused officials of orchestrating a “systematic and false campaign” designed to discredit Mr. Wangchuk’s peaceful advocacy for Ladakh’s delicate ecological balance.
Currently held in Jodhpur jail, Rajasthan, Mr. Wangchuk has conveyed his readiness to remain in custody until an independent judicial inquiry is launched into the fatalities that occurred during the Leh protest. In a letter dated October 5, released by his advocate Mustafa Haji, he implored the residents of Ladakh to continue their movement “in the true Gandhian way of non-violence.”