Tenor of Sonam Wangchuk’s speech not to spread violence, but to end it: Wife tells SC
She also told the top court that Wangchuk was not provided with the 'complete grounds' of his detention
Countering the Ladakh Administration’s allegation that her husband and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk propagate violence that led to his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) on September 26 last year, Gitanjali J Angmo on Thursday asserted before the Supreme Court that her husband in fact tried to pacify protestors.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale that facts were being manipulated to portray him as a criminal.
He alleged that Wangchuk was not provided with the “complete grounds” of his detention and was not given a proper opportunity to make a representation to the authority concerned against detention.
As the hearing remained inconclusive, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 12.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent NSA provisions on September 26, 2025, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four persons dead and 90 injured in the Union territory. The government has accused him of inciting the violence.
The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”. The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
Leh District Magistrate had earlier told the court that Wangchuk indulged in activities prejudicial to the security of the state, maintenance of public order and essential services, which led to his detention under the NSA.
In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Leh District Magistrate had denied that Wangchuk had been detained illegally or was being treated improperly under detention, and submitted that the grounds of detention, along with the material, were communicated to him.
However, playing a video of Wangchuk’s speech in the top court on Thursday, Sibal said the climate activist made a speech while breaking his hunger strike.
“I said I cannot accept this violence, and we should stop this violence, and I am appealing to you to stop this violence. That is the video I wanted to play to your lordship. You might remember that Gandhiji did the same when there was violence after the Chauri Chaura incident,” Sibal said, adding that facts were being manipulated to show that Wangchuk is a “criminal”.
“The tenor of the speech is not in any sense threatening the security of the state or that I will continue such activities or to propagate violence, but to quell it,” he said.
Sibal alleged that the vital video, which is available to the administration, was not placed before the detaining authority with the intent to ensure that the order of detention is passed by keeping him oblivious of what had really happened on September 24, 2025.
Sibal said the pen drive containing all documents except the four videos was supplied on September 29, 2025.
“Approximate causes that led to the detention order on September 26, 2025, were four videos relied upon by the detaining authorities. The videos were dated September 10, September 11, and two videos dated September 24. However, while the grounds of detention were supplied on September 29, the four videos were not furnished to the detainee,” he alleged.
Sibal submitted that the grounds of detention were only supplied to Wangchuk after a flagrant delay of 28 days, which is a clear violation of Article 22 of the Constitution.
