New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) The Supreme Court today allowed Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of noted Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, to amend her petition challenging her husband’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), allowing her to add new grounds and documents questioning the legality of his incarceration.
A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria granted Angmo’s application seeking to amend the plea and directed the union government to respond to the additional grounds.
“The petitioner is permitted to amend the petition and file the amended copy within a week and amended counter to be filed within ten days thereafter. Rejoinder, if any, within a week thereafter. List it on November 24,” the court ordered.
Angmo has alleged that Wangchuk’s detention is a “calculated attempt to silence a respected citizen” exercising his constitutional right to dissent, rather than being a measure rooted in genuine concerns of public order or national security.
Wangchuk, a Ramon Magsaysay Award-inspired innovator known for his sustainable education and environmental initiatives, was detained under the NSA following violent protests in Leh in September demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
In her amended plea, Angmo has detailed a series of government actions preceding Wangchuk’s arrest, including cancellation of the foreign funding licence for his NGO, notices regarding land lease cancellation, initiation of a CBI probe and Income Tax summons alleging these steps were part of a broader effort to harass him ahead of elections.
“It is preposterous that after over three decades of being recognised at the state, national, and international levels for his contributions to education, innovation, and environmental conservation, Mr Sonam Wangchuk would suddenly be targeted,” the plea states.
Angmo’s petition further asserts that Wangchuk’s detention order relied on five FIRs, three of which did not name him at all. The remaining two, she claimed, had no proximate connection to the September 24 violence in Leh.
She also denied that her husband, a key member of the Apex Body of Leh (ABL), had incited protests, instead asserting that he had consistently appealed for peace and restraint.
The plea claims that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) opposed Wangchuk’s inclusion in dialogue with the government despite requests from local groups.
It contends that the ABL had even offered to call off a 35-day hunger strike if Wangchuk were included in the High-Powered Committee (HPC) delegation, but the MHA “categorically rejected” the proposal, citing “higher-level decisions.”
Angmo has argued that statements made by Wangchuk about political unrest in neighbouring countries were “misconstrued and selectively quoted”, stressing that his message was one of peace and democratic reform.
The plea also highlights Wangchuk’s longstanding contribution to national causes, including designing solar-powered, self-heating tents for the Indian Army asserting that his work has always supported, not undermined, national security.
“His advocacy seeks to empower local communities within the constitutional framework and to safeguard Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem through peaceful and lawful means,” Angmo has stated.
Rejecting allegations that Wangchuk has been “bragging about foreign connections” or “promoting separatism,” the petition clarifies that his call for Sixth Schedule status demonstrates faith in the Indian Constitution, not disloyalty.
Angmo has also pointed out that while attending a conference in Pakistan, Wangchuk praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s environmental policies, underscoring his balanced approach.
Calling his detention a “manifestation of political vendetta”, Angmo contended that Wangchuk’s activism stems from ecological and democratic concerns, particularly his opposition to large-scale projects that threaten Ladakh’s fragile Himalayan environment.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Angmo, while solicitor general Tushar Mehta represented the union government. The amended petition was filed through Advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare.
