Wangchuk’s Wife Questions Legality of NSA Detention
Wangchuk’s Wife Questions Legality of NSA Detention
Gitanjali Angmo argues procedural lapses in Sonam Wangchuk’s NSA detention, calling it illegal and urging immediate release as officials push for more dates in court.
In New Delhi, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk remains under the National Security Act, detained on September 26 following protests in Ladakh that left several dead and many injured. He was later moved to a jail in Jodhpur as the legal process unfolds.
Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, says the detention reflects broader questions about democracy and the use of power to detain individuals without clear merit. She described the case as an “open and shut” matter and argued there have been procedural lapses that should have allowed for his release sooner. In an interview, Angmo asserted that the government has been seeking “dates after dates,” suggesting there is no substantive basis for the NSA action. She has filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his immediate release and has pressed for transparency in the detention order and related documents.
Angmo noted that the detention order, along with Wangchuk’s handwritten notes about the case, form part of the material submitted to the Supreme Court. She emphasized that authorities should provide all documents under NSA norms, and she pointed to the handwritten notes as a crucial part of the legal record. The family’s legal challenge comes amid ongoing protests in Ladakh, where calls for status changes and greater autonomy have raised tensions, and Wangchuk’s supporters warn that the case could have broader implications for civil liberties and dissent in the country.
