New Delhi, Feb 1: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea challenging the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), filed by his wife Gitanjali J Angmo.
A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice P.B. Varale is likely to take up the matter. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, has argued that the detention is illegal and arbitrary, alleging that the police relied on a selective video clip to mislead the detaining authority.
Wangchuk, currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, has denied allegations that he incited violence or made statements akin to an “Arab Spring”, asserting his democratic right to protest and criticise the government. The court had earlier directed a medical examination of Wangchuk after he complained of stomach issues allegedly caused by contaminated water.
The top court had sought responses from the Centre and the Ladakh administration on October 29 on Angmo’s amended plea and later deferred the hearing on November 24 after the Solicitor General sought time to reply.
Wangchuk was detained under the NSA on September 26, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and around 90 injured. The government has accused him of inciting the violence, a charge strongly denied in the plea.
The amended petition claims the detention is based on “stale FIRs, vague imputations and speculative assertions” and lacks any legal or factual justification. It also states that Wangchuk condemned the violence publicly and reiterated his commitment to peaceful protest.
Under the NSA, individuals can be detained for up to 12 months to prevent actions deemed prejudicial to national security. (Agencies)
