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Informist, Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed immediate shifting of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to Medanta hospital, after his wife Gitanjali Angmo alleged he was "forcibly" kept there by the police to prevent him from taking part in protests. Shifting Wangchuk to Medanta would be in fulfillment of the requirement of ensuring his fundamental rights and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the court said. Wangchuk would have to abide by the medical advice given by doctors at Medanta, it added.

 

The Centre had also agreed to the court's proposal of shifting Wangchuk to a hospital of his choice. Angmo had argued that Wangchuk's continued stay at Safdarjung Hospital infringed upon his rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, as it prevented him from continuing his peaceful hunger strike and protest at Jantar Mantar. 

 

The high court noted that certain concerns have been expressed by doctors primarily relating to low total leukocyte count and potassium levels in Wanghchuk's blood sample. There appears to be a consensus that Wangchuk needs constant monitoring by medical experts, the court said. "Having regard to the submissions made, the opinions expressed by the doctors present and the concerns raised by them, we are of the opinion that the husband of the appellant ought to be shifted to the hospital of his choice," said the high court.

 

The court asked the director of Medanta hospital to form a team of doctors, which would constantly monitor Wangchuk's medical condition and administer medication as may be required. In addition to the medical protocol, Angmo would be allowed to visit her husband as and when she desired, the court added. 

 

Angmo had alleged that Wangchuk's family had lost faith in Safdarjung Hospital due to lack of transparency over his treatment and medical reports. Angmo contended that Wangchuk was being kept there under conditions amounting to illegal detention. The right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution included the right of a competent adult to refuse medical treatment and to choose the hospital where such treatment was received, said Angmo. Wangchuk's continued hospitalisation at Safdarjung without consent violated his personal liberty, bodily autonomy and right to protest, she said.

 

On Jul 16, the Delhi High Court had said that government authorities must take all efforts to save the life of Wangchuk, who is on hunger strike, demanding the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test examination. The high court had directed the Centre and Delhi governments to monitor Wanghchuk's health and medical condition on a daily basis by government doctors. Citing this order, the Delhi police removed him from the protest site on Jul. 18 and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital. 

 

On Tuesday, the high court perused a letter from Wangchuk stating that his phone was taken away from him at Safdarjung Hospital. People were not allowed to visit him and those allowed are subjected to searches and surveillance, Wangchuk said in his letter.

 

Wangchuk, an engineer, educationist and a climate activist from Ladakh, had joined the protest by the Cockroach Janata Party on Jun. 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike. The Cockroach Janata Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has morphed into a political movement, protesting against systemic youth unemployment, the country's paper-leak-ridden education system, and judicial overreach, demanding accountability and structural reforms for Indian youth. 

 

On Monday, tens of thousands of protestors took over the heart of Lutyen's Delhi, demanding the resignation of Pradhan and breaking through police barricades in an attempt to march to Parliament. According to reports, a crowd of 50,000 people, mostly young men and women, challenged security forces at dozens of locations across the New Delhi police district. Police and anti-riot forces responded with lathicharge, tear gas, and water cannon, injuring scores of protestors. 

 

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the students protesting over exam paper leak, and stop "this nonsense of thrashing students". Modi, however, defended the government's swift action with regard to medical entrance exam paper leaks, but also underlined the need to "win the trust of the youth".  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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