Sonam Wangchuk's wife moves SC challenging his detention under security law
This story was originally published at 11:58 IST on 3 October 2025
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NEW DELHI – Activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J. Angmo has moved the Supreme Court challenging his detention under the National Security Act. Wangchuk, who has been at the forefront of Ladakh's demand for statehood and its inclusion in the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, was arrested on Sept. 26. He is currently detained at a prison in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.
"I have sought relief from the Supreme Court of India through a habeas corpus petition against Wangchuk's detention. It is one week today. Still I have no information about Sonam Wangchuk's health, the condition he is in nor the grounds of detention," said Angmo in a post on social media platform X.
A habeas corpus petition is a legal recourse used to challenge unlawful detention or imprisonment by requesting a court to order the custodian, like a prison official, to produce the detained person in court. The purpose is for the court to examine the legality of the detention and, if found unlawful, order the person's release, thereby protecting the fundamental right to personal liberty.
The Ladakh administration has accused Wangchuk of suggesting "self-immolation" to the people of Ladakh on "multiple occasions" on "lines of protests in Tibet". "Sonam Wangchuk had suggested 'overthrow' of the government on lines of 'Arab Spring', if their demands were not met, besides putting forth the idea of self-immolation for instigating agitation for this purpose, as happened in Arab countries, including Tunisia. On multiple occasions, he suggested self-immolation by Ladakhis on lines of protests in Tibet," said the administration.
The administration has blamed Wangchuk for the violence in Leh city on Sept. 26, which left four dead and around 150 people injured. Even though other Leh Apex Body leaders, including elders, rushed to pacify the aggressive crowd, Wangchuk made no attempts to ensure peace. Wangchuk remained at the hunger strike site and "if elderly leaders could realise the gravity of the situation and try to pacify the mob, there is no reason why Mr. Wangchuk could not have done the same, if he really desired peace," said the administration.
Angmo had said that her husband was being projected as an "anti-national" as part of a "witch-hunt", so that the movement for the 6th Schedule could be weakened. Angmo's remarks followed the Leh Police's mention of Wangchuk's visit to Pakistan, and an allegation that he had links with the neighbouring country.
The Sixth Schedule provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state. These divisions can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land, forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing, inheritance, marriage and divorce, social customs and mining. Currently, the sixth schedule applies to the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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