New Delhi, Oct 14 — The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), and seeking his immediate release, to October 15.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria postponed the matter due to paucity of time. The court had earlier, on October 6, issued notices to the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh, but did not pass any orders on Angmo’s plea seeking the grounds of Wangchuk’s detention.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent NSA on September 26, two days after violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status left four people dead and 90 injured. The government accused him of inciting the violence.
The NSA allows the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent acts “prejudicial to the defence of India,” with a maximum detention period of 12 months, which can be revoked earlier. Wangchuk is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, Rajasthan.
In her plea, Angmo questioned the invocation of the NSA against her husband and filed a habeas corpus writ, seeking urgent listing, immediate production of Wangchuk before the court, access to him, and quashing of the preventive detention order. (Agencies)
