The Union Government has revoked the detention of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. It said the decision aims to restore peace and create conditions for dialogue in Ladakh.
Background of the Sonam Wangchuk NSA Detention
In a statement, the government said authorities detained Wangchuk on September 26, 2025 under the NSA. It said the action followed a serious law-and-order situation in Leh on September 24, 2025. The District Magistrate, Leh, had issued the detention order to maintain public order in the region.
The government also said Wangchuk had already undergone nearly half of the maximum period of preventive detention permitted under the NSA. It added that the decision to revoke the detention was taken in view of the broader need to create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue in Ladakh.
Supreme Court Hearing in the Sonam Wangchuk NSA Detention Case
The Supreme Court has been hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr. Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife, since last October. Through that petition, she challenged his detention before the Court. After the detention, authorities shifted Wangchuk to Jodhpur Central Jail.
A Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Prasanna B. Varale is scheduled to hear the matter on March 17.
Challenge to the Sonam Wangchuk NSA Detention
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, challenged the detention on several grounds. One of his principal objections was that the authorities had not provided all the material on which the detention order was based.
A dispute also arose over videos of speeches that the administration described as inflammatory. The administration claimed that it had provided Wangchuk with a pen drive containing those videos. The Court, however, asked whether he had actually received a real opportunity to view them.
Centre Revokes Sonam Wangchuk NSA Detention
During the hearing, the Bench also remarked that the administration was “reading too much into” Wangchuk’s speeches. In addition, the Bench flagged certain discrepancies in the translations of those speeches.
With the Union Government now revoking the detention order, the matter comes at a significant stage ahead of the scheduled hearing before the Supreme Court.
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