New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh on a plea filed by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) and seeking his immediate release.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, however, declined to issue any interim order directing the authorities to furnish the grounds of detention to Wangchuk’s wife. The court instead listed the matter for further hearing on October 14.
Wangchuk, a well-known environmentalist and education reformer from Ladakh, was detained under the stringent provisions of the NSA on September 26, just two days after protests erupted in the region demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The protests had turned violent, resulting in four deaths and injuries to nearly ninety people.
The activist is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, with his detention drawing widespread criticism from various quarters, including civil society groups and political leaders who have demanded his release.
Wangchuk has been vocal about Ladakh’s environmental concerns and the need for constitutional safeguards for its fragile ecosystem. His detention under the NSA has raised questions about the government’s handling of dissent in the Union Territory.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again on October 14 after receiving responses from both the Centre and the Ladakh administration. [KNT]
