Ladakh protests: Wangchuk chief provocateur; after his detention violence came under control, Centre tells SC

Describing activist Sonam Wangchuk -- detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since September 26, 2025 following violent protests in Leh – as the chief provocateur of the violence in Leh on September 24 last year, the Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that after his detention, the agitation came under control.

"He was the chief provocateur that led to the violence in which four people were killed and 60 injured. The detention order shows an express link, there is clear application of mind there. After his detention, the agitation and violence came under control. Hence it's proved that the detention order is a perfect order which was justified in the situation," Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj told a Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice PB Varale.

As the ASG completed his arguments, the Bench posted the matter for February 16.

Maintaining that Wangchuk was “fit, hale and hearty”, the Centre had on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it was not possible to release him on health grounds.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the Bench that exceptions cannot be made in preventive detention matters.

Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo has challenged his detention, terming it “illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional”, saying the detention order violated her husband’s fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (right to various freedoms), 21 (right to life and liberty) and 22 (protection against arrest and detention in certain cases) of the Constitution.

The activist was detained on September 26, 2025 under Section 3(2) of the NSA, two days after protests demanding Ladakh’s statehood and the Sixth Schedule status turned violent, leaving four people dead and nearly 100 injured.