Geetanjali Angmo, wife of renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, met her husband on October 3 in Jodhpur Central Jail. Wangchuk has been detained since the September 24 violence in Leh following protests demanding statehood for Ladakh.
Accompanied by lawyer Ritam Khare, Angmo confirmed in a post on X that Wangchuk’s legal team has secured a copy of his detention order. They plan to challenge it in court, seeking his immediate release.
The detention order outlines the allegations against Wangchuk and provides reasons for invoking the National Security Act (NSA). This act allows for preventive detention in situations considered a threat to national security.
Previously, on September 30, Wangchuk’s brother, Tsetan Dorje, visited him, accompanied by lawyer Mustafa Haji. Haji reported that Wangchuk called for an independent judicial inquiry into the deaths of four individuals during last month’s protests in Leh.
“Wangchuk is prepared to remain in jail until such an inquiry is carried out,” Haji stated on X, highlighting the activist’s commitment to justice for the victims.
Meanwhile, Geetanjali Angmo has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking her husband’s immediate release. The court is set to hear the plea on October 14, when crucial decisions regarding Wangchuk’s future may take place.
Sonam Wangchuk is a prominent figure advocating for environmental protection and social issues in Ladakh. He has faced significant scrutiny after his detention related to violent clashes that occurred amid protests calling for statehood for the region and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
After his initial detention, Wangchuk’s location changed; he was shifted from Delhi to Jodhpur Central Jail on September 26. His supporters have expressed concerns over the implications of his detention under the NSA, citing it as an infringement on democratic freedoms.
