'Health Not Very Good,' Supreme Court Urges Centre to Rethink Sonam Wangchuk's Detention
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Union government, which has jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for almost five months now, to “rethink” his continued detention in the light of his health condition.
Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo has challenged his arrest on September 26, 2025, after protests for Ladakh's statehood, its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule and other long-held demands turned violent.
Wangchuk is jailed in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan, almost 1,400 kilometres away from his home in Leh. Angmo had moved an application seeking that Wangchuk be examined by a specialist doctor after he complained of frequent stomach aches. She had requested the court for monthly health reports and the court had directed jail authorities last week to ensure that a specialist doctor from a government facility examines him.
“Is there any possibility for the government to have a rethink? The detention order was passed on September 26. It has been nearly five months. His condition of health is certainly not very good and there are other age-related factors," a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale said. The question arrived at the conclusion of the hearing on February 4.
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj responded that it is a matter of concern for the government as well and that he will seek instructions.
According to LiveLaw, Nataraj also argued that Wangchuk did not challenge subsequent orders of the state government and the advisory board upholding the detention order passed by the Leh District Magistrate. He stated that there are various screenings under the NSA once the order is passed by the detaining authority to ensure that the detenue is given fair treatment.
The bench observed that if the detention order suffers from legal deficiencies, it can be struck down, taking all subsequent state and advisory board orders with it. Rejecting the state’s contrary submission, the court warned against a “dangerous path” of reasoning. Nataraj argued that detention could stand on even one valid ground, countering claims by Kapil Sibal that the order showed no application of mind and was merely copied from police recommendations.
The Union government earlier told the Supreme Court that Wangchuk had urged young people to draw inspiration from youth-led movements in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka if Ladakh’s demand for Sixth Schedule status was denied.
It has also claimed that Wangchuk's reference to the government as “them” and to the people from Ladakh as “us” was “enough” to invoke the NSA.
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