Supreme Court Defers Sonam Wangchuk Detention Hearing
The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred by a day the hearing in the detention case of activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk. The matter will now be taken up on January 8, with the court indicating that it required additional time to go through the records and submissions placed before it. The case is being heard by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P. B. Varale.
The plea before the court challenges Wangchuk’s preventive detention and seeks his release through a habeas corpus petition.
Background of the Detention Case
Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent figure from Ladakh, was detained in September 2025 under the National Security Act. The detention followed protests and public campaigns in Ladakh seeking statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Authorities have maintained that the detention was necessary in the interest of public order and security.
Wangchuk has been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail since his detention. His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, moved the Supreme Court alleging that the detention was unlawful and violated his fundamental rights. The petition argues that the grounds cited by the administration do not justify invoking preventive detention laws.
What the Court Will Examine Next
When the hearing resumes, the Supreme Court is expected to examine the legality of the detention order, the procedural safeguards followed by the authorities, and whether the use of the National Security Act was justified in the circumstances. The case has drawn wider attention as it raises questions over the use of preventive detention laws and the limits of state power in dealing with peaceful protests.
