Sonam Wangchuk News Highlights: ‘Complete ground’ for climate activist’s detention not provided, wife argues in Supreme Court

Away from the active politics, Sonam Wangchuk announced a climate fast at Khardung La, one of the highest passes in the world, in 2023. He wanted to highlight the effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh. He was also seeking protection for the people of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. However, The government didn’t allow the fast and put him under house detention. He also made a political statement saying Ladakh was better off with Jammu and Kashmir than a Union Territory.

Sibal to continue with arguments on Monday (January 12).

Sibal: They referred to 4 videos. But the video on the 24th is also available to them. Is it not the duty of the local authority to hand over the facts to the detaining authority so that all facts come out before the decision? That vital information, that vital video, wasn’t placed before the detaining authority…. that’s a very "serious issue".

Wangchuk’s speech played in the courtroom.

Sibal: Tenor of speech not in any sense with intent to propagate violence but to quell it. It is the opposite of what the detention order says. They don’t rely on this. They should have.

Sibal says that Wangchuk's speech was interpreted to say that if he were not detained, violence would continue.

"They had this video, but they did not rely upon and we have it in our petition," he added.

Sibal quotes the detaining authority, which says that the detention of Wangchuk is "necessary" because it may affect "public order" and "services essential" for the "community and circumstances prevailing in the local limits”. He highlighted that the administration is considering three aspects, and this is the intent behind the detention order.

Sibal also mentions that the detaining authority relied on these 4 tapes, and they had to be supplied.

Sibal argues law mandates that if the grounds of detention are not supplied to the detenu, the order (detention) is vitiated. He refers to the case law on detention and the supply of grounds and mentions M Ahmedkutty v. Union of India to buttress his claims.

Appearing for Wangchuk's wife, advocate Sibal refers to the administration’s reply, which said Wangchuk’s repeated claims of not having received the grounds of detention are “misleading”.

Advocate Sibal emphasised that the detention order will be vitiated if the grounds of detention are not supplied as per settled law in the context of the provisions of Article 22 (5) along with Section 8 of the NSA. He also highlighted that it is their case that the grounds of detention were not supplied, which the other party said were supplied.

The Supreme Court will hear the plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, against his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) shortly. Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, under the NSA, which empowers governments to act pre-emptively against individuals seen as a threat to public order or national security.

Besides the climate activist's wife, Angmo’s legal battle against the arrest of her husband, the representative bodies within Ladakh, the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have also sought his release, making this a key condition for continuing talks with the Centre on statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.

Wangchuk's wife, Angmo, also said previously that the Supreme Court “need not have taken 100 days to decide this matter”, adding that she has submitted multiple rejoinders in the court regarding the delays on the part of the government.

Defending its use of the National Security Act (NSA) against Wangchuk, the Ladakh administration had, in October last year, informed the Supreme Court that due process was “faithfully and strictly” followed. The affidavit said the detention order was passed after “subjective satisfaction” that Wangchuk’s activities were prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order, and that all constitutional safeguards were observed.

The affidavit was filed in response to his wife Angmo’s petition challenging his detention under the National Security Act, 1980.

Wangchuk was booked by the Khaltsi Police Station in Leh District, Union Territory of Ladakh under Section 3 (2) of the National Securities Act, 1980. The climate activist was leading a movement seeking statehood and protections under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh before his arrest.

The climate activist, Sonam Wangchuk, was arrested in Leh under the National Security Act (NSA) on September 26 last year and has spent over 100 days in Jodhpur jail. The maximum detention period under the NSA is 12 months, which can be revoked earlier. “It’s been a challenging time with extreme stress.

For the first time, I was handling an issue of this magnitude, and you’re taking on the Union of India, at loggerheads with the top two people of this country,” Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, told The Indian Express earlier.

The top court will hear the plea of the wife of the climate activist against his detention today.