Activist Sonam Wangchuk and others released, prohibitory orders withdrawn: Solicitor-General to Delhi HC
Tushar Mehta also informs the Delhi High Court that the Ministry of Home Affairs has accepted a memorandum from Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters.
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday that the Delhi Police commissioner’s office has withdrawn prohibitory orders on public assembly, leading to the release of Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and
others from detention.
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During a virtual appearance before a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, Mehta submitted, “…order which was passed on September 30 (by the police commissioner’s office prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons) now stands withdrawn in view of changed circumstances in an order dated October 2. So far, the persons who were allegedly detained, they are out, they went to Rajghat, they were there for two hours, they gave a memorandum to MHA, which was accepted.”
This came after he made a similar submission before the Supreme Court earlier in the day.
The bench was hearing two pleas seeking the release of Wangchuk and other detainees as well as quashing the prohibitory orders. One of the petitions was filed by Mustafa Haji, legal advisor to the Leh Apex Body, for the release of Wangchuk and other members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance. The petition also sought permission for them to enter Delhi to raise “their demands peacefully” and to assemble in a designated area. The other petition was filed by Azad, a social activist part of the Wangchuk-led ‘Chalo Dilli’ climate march.
A third petition was filed by Rajneesh Kumar Sharma seeking a writ of Habeas Corpus to produce the detainees in court. His counsel, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, contested the solicitor-general’s statement. “As per my information, they were taken to Rajghat and then to Ambedkar Bhavan so they don’t have free movement. They want to sit at Jantar Mantar and raise climate awareness,” Bhushan said.
While it recorded the solicitor-general’s statement and disposed of Azad’s and Haji’s pleas, the bench kept Sharma’s plea for further consideration on Friday.
Security outside Ladakh Bhawan, where Wangchuk is staying, meanwhile, was increased on Thursday afternoon.
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Sajjad Kargili, a political activist from Kargil who was also detained on Monday, alleged that Wangchuk was not being allowed to leave Ladakh Bhawan. “The situation is extremely sad, this is unconstitutional, there is high police security… The rest of us are being allowed to go in and out and meet media personnel, but Sonam Wangchuk is not being allowed to do so,” Kargili said.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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