The Supreme Court of India on Monday expressed its continued concern over the health of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been held under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) since September 2025. A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale reiterated its suggestion to the Union Government to “rethink” the necessity of his continued incarceration, particularly given his age and recent medical reports.
Wangchuk, currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, was detained following violent protests in Ladakh last year over demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status. His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the detention as “illegal” and “arbitrary,” claiming it violates his fundamental rights.
During the hearing, the court noted that Wangchuk’s health report was “not good.” Justice Varale observed that the activist had already spent nearly five months in detention and asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj if the government could take a fresh look at the case. In response, the ASG maintained that Wangchuk is in “perfectly good” condition and is receiving top-tier medical care at AIIMS Jodhpur—facilities he argued would not have been available to him in Ladakh.
The Centre continues to justify the NSA invocation, alleging that Wangchuk’s “provocative speeches” instigated the unrest in Leh that led to four deaths and scores of injuries. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had earlier compared Wangchuk’s rhetoric to the “Arab Spring,” suggesting he aimed to incite civil unrest among “Gen Z” protesters.
The Supreme Court, however, has warned against a “dangerous path” of legal reasoning regarding preventive detention. The bench emphasized that if the original detention order suffers from legal deficiencies or lack of application of mind, it could be set aside entirely. The matter is now scheduled for a detailed hearing on Wednesday, February 11, with the court demanding the original files related to the detention.
