24 hearings, 5 months, a pending verdict—and then Centre dropped NSA against Sonam Wangchuk

The habeas corpus petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife was listed about 24 times before the Supreme Court over the past five months, with many hearings lately ending in adjournments at the Centre’s behest.

File photo of environmentalist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk during his fast in Ladakh | Twitter | @Wangchuk66

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Saturday announced its decision to revoke the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk “with immediate effect” by exercising its powers under the National Security Act (NSA).

The 1980 Act allows preventive detention for a maximum of 12 months, and Wangchuk had already spent nearly half of that period in detention.

The revocation came nearly six months after his wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, filed a habeas corpus petition before the Supreme Court in September 2025.

The petition was listed before the court nearly 24 times over the past five months, with many hearings lately ending in adjournments at the Centre’s behest. The Government of India had repeatedly sought adjournments, citing the Solicitor General’s illness and the time required to examine Wangchuk’s speeches and prepare its response in a case it described as involving national security concerns.

When the matter was taken up on 10 March, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, said the repeated adjournments sought by the Centre were sending a “wrong signal” across the country.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale then indicated that it would not grant further adjournments and, while adjourning the case to 17 March, reserved its judgment for the following week. The adjournment had come at the Centre’s behest after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta did not turn up in court, citing health reasons.

Earlier, on 26 February, the hearing had also been deferred at the government’s behest. The Centre, then, sought more time to translate and review videos of Wangchuk’s speeches, which it said formed the basis for his detention under the stringent NSA.

Centre’s decision to detain Wangchuk & release him

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained following protests in Leh in September 2025 over demands of statehood as well as the Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh. The Leh Police detained him on the accusation of instigating violence.

The statehood protests in Leh turned violent on 24 September 2025, when clashes broke out between protesters and security forces. Four protesters were killed when police opened fire. Protesters, on the other hand, burned the BJP office and vehicles.

Two days after the violence, Sonam Wangchuk was detained on 26 September 2025 under the NSA. He has since been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.

According to Gitanjali J. Angmo, Wangchuk was engaged in a peaceful hunger strike demanding statehood and had no role in instigating the clashes.

The MHA’s press release Saturday said, “In the backdrop of the serious law and order situation that arose in the peace-loving town of Leh on 24 September 2025, Shri Sonam Wangchuk was detained on 26 September 2025 under the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) pursuant to an order issued by the District Magistrate, Leh, with a view to maintaining public order. Shri Sonam Wangchuk had already undergone nearly half of the period of detention under the said Act”.

“…the prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character of the society and has adversely affected various sections of the community, including students, job aspirants, businesses, tour operators and tourists and the overall economy.”

It added, “It (Government) remains hopeful that the issues concerning the region will be resolved through constructive engagement and dialogue, including through the mechanism of the High-Powered Committee as well as other appropriate platforms.”

Hearings in court & what the Centre alleged

Gitanjali J. Angmo’s habeas corpus petition challenged Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest as illegal, arbitrary, and a violation of his fundamental rights.

A habeas corpus petition requires the authorities to produce a detained person before the court and justify the legality of the detention.

The Supreme Court first heard the petition on 6 October 2025 and issued a notice to the Centre.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the government had relied on misconstrued videos and “borrowed material” to claim Wangchuk was inciting violence.

His wife characterised the invocation of the NSA as “politically motivated” and “a witch hunt” aimed at stifling peaceful protest and dialogue in Ladakh.

In January 2026, Wangchuk in Jodhpur Central Jail experienced deteriorating health— specifically severe stomach-related ailments—leading to multiple examinations by a gastroenterologist at AIIMS Jodhpur.

The Centre, however, termed this as a “manufactured and synthetic facade” and justified continued detention.

Following complaints regarding poor water quality in the Jodhpur prison, the court directed specialised medical care for Wangchuk. The court also asked the Centre whether it could reconsider or review his detention, noting that “his medical condition is not that good”.

Justifying Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA, the Centre referenced the Leh protests as an uprising similar to the Arab Spring, accusing Wangchuk of instigating violence, threatening national security in a sensitive border region, and trying to incite “Nepal-/Bangladesh-style” unrest. It also alleged that he was a “chief provocateur” who used Gandhi-inspired rhetoric to encourage Gen Z towards violent protests, self-immolation, and non-cooperation.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)