On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a pivotal decision, granting Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of renowned activist Sonam Wangchuk, permission to submit an amended petition. This amendment will allow her to spotlight critical procedural shortcomings by authorities, which she contends undermine the fundamental constitutional and statutory protections enshrined in the National Security Act (NSA) of 1980.
Among the key issues Ms. Angmo highlighted was the ‘blatant delay’ in providing her husband with the complete grounds for his detention. These crucial details were reportedly furnished only after 28 days, arriving just before the Advisory Board hearing, severely hindering his capacity to present an effective defense.
Furthermore, she asserted that the detention order relied on ‘outdated First Information Reports’ (FIRs) that were filed more than a year prior, and notably, her husband’s name was not even mentioned in them.
Adding to the irregularities, four pivotal videos, presented as the ‘primary evidence’ for his detention, were not shared with Mr. Wangchuk within the mandatory five to ten-day period stipulated by the NSA.
Moreover, the recommendations that led to the detention order, along with the September 26 authorization allowing the District Magistrate of Leh to issue it, were similarly withheld from Mr. Wangchuk.
Ms. Angmo further contended that the detention order itself failed to demonstrate the ‘independent satisfaction’ of the District Magistrate, a requirement under Section 3 of the NSA.
A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anajaria, granted Ms. Angmo — represented by senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha, and advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare — one week to formally submit the revised petition.
The authorities, whose case is being handled by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, were allotted ten days to file a counter-affidavit in response. Ms. Angmo’s legal team was then instructed to submit any rejoinder to this counter-affidavit within an additional week.
The next hearing for the case is scheduled for November 24.