Suffering from stomach pain, Sonam Wangchuk taken to AIIMS-Jodhpur

Activist and scientist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since September 27, 2025, was taken to AIIMS Jodhpur for medical examination early Saturday morning, officials said. He spent approximately an hour and a half in the hospital’s gastroenterology department before being escorted back to prison.

According to AIIMS sources, Wangchuk has been having stomach-related issues and visited the hospital on Friday as well for tests. The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a petition filed by his wife, has requested Wangchuk’s medical report by February 2.

Following the Supreme Court’s orders, police transported Wangchuk from Jodhpur Central Jail to the emergency department of AIIMS Hospital on Saturday morning, a police official said.

Wangchuk has been voicing concerns about his declining health in jail for some time now. Recognising his worsening condition, the Supreme Court ordered the Jodhpur jail administration on Thursday to arrange for him to be examined by a specialist.

During the Thursday hearing, a bench comprising Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice PB Varale directed jail authorities to ensure that Wangchuk receives an examination by a specialist doctor (a gastroenterologist) at a government hospital.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General for the Rajasthan government, KM Nataraj, reported that jail doctors had examined Wangchuk 21 times over the past four months, with the most recent check-up occurring on January 26.

Objecting to this submission, Wangchuk’s counsel Kapil Sibal claimed that he was suffering from persistent stomach pain due to the water quality in jail. Accepting Sibal’s argument, the court said that medical treatment with a specialist must be provided in accordance with the patient’s needs.