Supreme Court Postpones Hearing On Petition By Wangchuk’s Wife Challenging His Detention To Oct 15

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to October 15 the hearing on a plea filed by Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J Angmo challenging the climate activist's detention under the National Security Act, and seeking his immediate release.

The bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday due to paucity of time, PTI reported. 

On October 6, 2025, the Supreme Court orally requested the Union government to consider disclosing the grounds of Wangchuk's preventive detention to his wife. The request was made during a hearing in which the Centre argued that her habeas corpus petition was merely an attempt to create an “emotive atmosphere.”

Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following violent protests in Leh on September 24. His wife, Angmo, approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive for the authorities to produce him before the court. She noted that it had been ten days since Wangchuk was reportedly detained in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on September 26, and that she had received no information regarding the reasons for his detention or his current health condition.

The protests erupted outside the BJP office in Leh amid a 35-day hunger strike led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The groups were demanding urgent, result-oriented talks with the Centre on long-standing issues, including statehood and the extension of Sixth Schedule status to the region.

A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria issued notices to both the Union government and the Ladakh administration, observing that “something has been done” for the time being. The court scheduled the next hearing for October 14.