SC to hear plea on Wangchuk’s detention today

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a petition filed by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, which terms his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), 1980, as illegal and an arbitrary exercise violating his fundamental rights.

On October 29, the top court had asked the Centre and the Ladakh Administration to respond to the amended plea filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo.

The matter has been listed for hearing on November 24 before a Bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria.

Wangchuk was detained on September 26 under Section 3(2) of the NSA, two days after protests demanding Ladakh’s statehood and Sixth Schedule status turned violent, leaving four persons dead and nearly 100 injured. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail.

Angmo has challenged his detention, calling it “illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional”, saying the order violates 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.