New Delhi, Dec 15: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned till January 7, 2026, 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).
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria deferred the matter citing paucity of time. Wangchuk was detained on September 26 under the NSA, days after violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status.
Earlier, on November 24, the apex court had postponed the hearing after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and Ladakh administration, sought time to respond to Angmo’s rejoinder. On October 29, the court had asked the Centre and Ladakh administration to file their replies to the amended plea.
The petition alleges that Wangchuk’s detention is illegal, arbitrary and violative of his fundamental rights. It contends that the detention order is based on “stale FIRs, vague allegations and speculative claims,” lacking any proximate link to the grounds cited for preventive custody.
Angmo has denied any role of Wangchuk in the September 24 violence in Leh, which left four people dead and several injured, asserting that he had publicly condemned the violence and consistently advocated peaceful protest.
The NSA allows preventive detention for up to 12 months to prevent actions deemed prejudicial to national security, subject to review and revocation.
