Ladakh: In a new development in the Sonam Wangchuk case, his wife Gitanjali Angmo has knocked on the Supreme Court’s door. She has challenged Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest under the National Security Act (NSA) and has sought his immediate release. She even said that there has been no communication between them since his arrest on September 26.

What petition has Wangchuk’s wife filed?

She has filed a habeas corpus petition, requesting intervention and immediate release. In her petition, she has stated that the arrest is illegal and a violation of norms under the NSA. She has also raised questions on his arrest and the imposition of NSA, pointing out that she hasn’t received a copy of the detention order, which is a breach of procedure.

She said, “I am yet to get a copy of his detention order. This is a violation of rules. I have had no contact with my husband since his detention.”

What is in the letter to the President?

Angmo wrote a three-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu, pleading for intervention. Raising concerns about his well-being and calling it a “witch-hunt” against her husband, she said he has been targeted for his work in the region.

“We request for an unconditional release of Wangchuk, a person who can never be a threat to anyone, leave alone his Nation,” she wrote.

She also mentioned in the letter that she was informed about the detention only by a Station House Officer, and she was told that she would be informed of her legal rights, but that never happened.

Angmo, who is the founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), said she is kept under CRPF surveillance. She shared that recently the Special Investigation Team (SIT) asked for the record of students and staff and even 2 people of the institute have been detained.

Why was Wangchuk arrested?

Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on September 26 under the NSA, after a protest broke out in Ladakh on September 24. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail. The violent clash in Ladakh over the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution left four dead and many badly injured. Wangchuk has been accused of instigating violence, and authorities have also charged him with having links with a Pakistan PIO (intelligence officer).

Thackeray Slams Sonam Wangchuk’s Arrest

On Thursday, while addressing the Dussehra rally, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray targeted the Centre over the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for his alleged connection with the violence in Ladakh. He called Wangchuk “a patriot”.

To address water scarcity, Wangchuk had developed solar tents for the Indian Army and ice stupas. “He was praising PM Modi until yesterday. But the moment he (Wangchuk) started an agitation for the rights of Ladakh, he was arrested under the NSA (National Security Act). Justice and rights are basic necessities of democracy. Seeking justice and rights is becoming an act of treason in the country,” Thackeray said.

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