New Delhi: The Delhi High Court, after a detailed hearing, has denied wife Gitanjali Angmo’s plea to shift Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital to a private hospital of their choice. Angmo had filed the plea seeking Wangchuk’s immediate discharge from the state-run facility.
Justice Mini Pushkarna said that, “since the government has taken Wangchuk on account of medical intervention, this court does not find the same as an arbitrary action,” basing her decision on the division bench order passed on 16 July.
Issuing notice to Angmo’s plea, the court has posted the matter for 24 July.
“It cannot be said that any force is being used or his bodily autonomy is being violated. This court takes note that he is not under detention. Wangchuk, on his own volition, did not check himself in any hospital, the government was well within rights to admit him into the hospital as per division bench order,” stated the oral order dictated by Justice Pushkarna.
The High Court also said Sonam Wangchuk “must cooperate” with doctors, as per the government’s request. “Ultimate decision with regard to medical condition will be of the medical team attending him which shall be as per medical protocol,” it said.
The special Sunday sitting of the High Court bench at 2.30 PM was after Wangchuk’s wife filed an urgent application seeking that the court declare her husband’s “continued confinement” as unconstitutional and to “permit his immediate discharge and facilitate his transfer to a hospital or medical facility” of their choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxgfyuLo4s
Present physically before the court, Angmo took charge and told the court about her request for Wangchuk’s blood sample for a “second opinion” and separate testing for potassium levels. She detailed how the Safdarjung hospital made her wait for 12 hours for his blood sample, which she received at close to midnight Saturday when almost all private laboratories were shut.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, ran through the 16 July order and said the problem in Safdarjung hospital currently is that Wangchuk has no access to his personal doctors or lawyers and his wife has no idea what is being administered to him. “We are entitled to the doctor and hospital of our choice,” he argued before the court, stating that Vedanta hospital is ready to send a van, as per their request, and admit Wangchuk.
Additional Solicitor General for Delhi High Court, Chetan Sharma, appearing on behalf of the central government, told the court about the 16 July division bench order allowing government doctors “to check” Wangchuk. Sharma emphasised on the order, noting “that life of every citizen is precious and all medical efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same”.
During the hearing, Justice Pushkarna inquired about the urgent circumstances which led to the decision to remove Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar.
Sharma replied by saying that 18 days of fasting in this weather can lead to dehydration and even extraordinary illnesses. “This might not be serious right now but later it can lead to bodily shock and hypokalemia—a deficiency of potassium in the body,” he told the court.
On ensuring confidence in governmental medical assistance, Sharma told the court that the President of India takes medical assistance from government doctors and the hospital is only administering Wangchuk sugar-free electrolytes, with his consent.
“It is our duty and we have to be cautious that should he refuse, a reasonable amount of medical intervention must be available for him. He should have complete faith in the doctors. He’s been taken care of but he has to cooperate with the attending doctors as per the division bench order,” Sharma said.
“As a matter of policy, we don’t rely on private reports. Safdarjung is top-notch but Wangchuk can also be shifted to AIIMS, if the court feels the need,” Sharma added.
Dr Akshay, an Additional Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at AIIMS, told the court, “We are monitoring, we started some oral fluids, some ORS without sugar, denying the regular ORS. We have been talking to him about having IV fluids, but he’s been denying the same. Some of his parameters are borderline and some are on the lower side of normal. If he doesn’t have that, he’s going on the downside of normal”.
Sibal, on the other hand, reminded the court that Wangchuk was not in detention and there was no case against him. Also, when the division bench order was passed on 16 July, neither Wangchuk nor his wife were made a party to the proceedings, hence, it was ex-parte.
“Is it not the court’s duty to ensure his medical condition, especially in the division bench’s order?… In Ladakh, he was on fast for 35 days but we don’t know how human bodies react,” Justice Pushkarna asked Sibal before passing the order.
To this, Sibal responded by saying that Sonam Wangchuk wants to be in an environment that is chosen by him, “…where my family, lawyers and friends can visit me.”
Angmo’s plea also emphasised that 20 policemen were “eavesdropping” in the room when she entered. It also said that she would go to a hospital where she was comfortable. Sharma called this “the activist speaking”, adding that “this is not activism platform, activism can take rest, this is court of law”.
The High Court has directed the Centre and other respondents to file their status report/reply within three days. It also took note of the ASG’s statement that Wangchuk’s medical reports will be regularly shared with his family.
In the 7-page order, Justice Pushkarna also said, “…the fact that Mr Sonam Wangchuk was taken from the site of protest to a hospital, does not prima facie infringe the personal liberty of Mr Sonam Wangchuk, as the said step was taken in furtherance of protection of his life, in view of his vulnerable medical condition on account of prolonged fasting”.
Speaking to reporters outside the Delhi HC after the hearing, Gitanjali Angmo termed the government and Delhi Police’s submissions a ‘charade’.
“If you (government) were truly so concerned about his health, why did you so ruthlessly pick him up, put him on a stretcher, and take him away? You could have simply conducted a medical test and informed his family that a certain level was low, stating you wished to take him in for that reason. That is the proper way to handle things in a democracy. If you were genuinely concerned about his health—and I want to say this without mincing words—then this whole narrative about health concerns is nothing but a charade,” she said.
Calling this a “misuse” of police force, judiciary and the education system, she said this was an attempt to stop Wangchuk from joining the peaceful march to Parliament on 20 July.
Earlier on Sunday, Wangchuk, through his wife, shared a handwritten note on X saying he is being kept in “illegal detention” at Safdarjung hospital. The note also urged more and more people to take part in the peaceful march to Parliament called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on 20 July. It referred to the march as “India’s 2nd FREEDOM MOVEMENT”.
Message from Sonam :
20th JULY
आज़ादी का दूसरा आन्दोलन
भय मुक्त भारत, अन्याय मुक्त भारत
Freedom from injustice (Like paper leaks)
Freedom from Fear (my illegal detention)
India’s 2nd FREEDOM MOVEMENT
March to the Parliament
Please make it a big success
Sent through… pic.twitter.com/XYeUXgUxJH
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 19, 2026
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: The making of a protest: Students, ex-servicemen mobilise at Jantar Mantar for ‘Wangchuk, the kids’