Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s NSA detention case will be heard today by an advisory board at Jodhpur Central Jail. The board, headed by retired Justice M.K. Hanjura, will review his appeal seeking relief and justice.
An Advisory Board led by Justice M.K. Hanjura (Retd.), a former judge of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, is set to hear the appeal of climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk on October 24 at Jodhpur Central Jail.
The three-member board also includes Manoj Parihar, Principal District and Sessions Judge of Leh, and Spalzes Angmo, Principal District and Sessions Judge of Kargil.
This hearing is part of the review process stipulated by the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), which requires the Advisory Board to assess the legality and necessity of Wangchuk’s preventive detention.
Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, confirmed via her tweet that they will attend the proceedings as “friends,” a role permitted by law to assist during the hearing.
Expressing confidence in the fairness of the upcoming proceedings, she stated,
“I have full trust in the Advisory Board to stand for truth and justice,”
The findings and recommendations of the Advisory Board will decide whether Wangchuk’s PSA detention will continue or be revoked.
Earlier, On October 15, before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the Centre, asserting that Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) adhered to due process and did not violate his legal rights.
According to media reports, the Leh District Magistrate, in an affidavit, confirmed that Wangchuk’s detention on September 26 was lawful, citing his alleged involvement in inciting violence in Ladakh.
The District Magistrate also indicated that Wangchuk was informed of his detention, the reasons were communicated, and the order was forwarded to the Advisory Board.
Additionally, the Jodhpur Central Jail filed a separate affidavit with the Supreme Court stating that Wangchuk, detained under the NSA since September 26, is medically fit, housed in a standard barrack (not in solitary confinement), and granted full visitation rights under police supervision. The jail confirmed that he receives a normal diet and that all measures are taken to protect his statutory rights.
In a fresh affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, Gitanjali J. Angmo alleged that she is being followed and surveilled by Intelligence Bureau officials and Rajasthan Police in both Jodhpur and Delhi, which she claims violates her fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
Angmo reported that upon arriving at the airport, she was escorted by IB and police officers who insisted she travel with them in a vehicle with drawn white curtains to obscure the view.
According to her affidavit, these officers remained with her throughout her visit, including inside the Jail Superintendent’s office, where they took notes on her conversation with Wangchuk and later photographed her private legal documents prepared for his defense.
Angmo also claimed she was restricted from meeting anyone or visiting other locations in Jodhpur and was escorted to the railway station, where officers even boarded her train and traveled for two hours before exiting at Merta Road Junction.
The petition challenges Wangchuk’s ongoing detention as “illegal and politically motivated,” contending that invoking the NSA is an attempt to suppress peaceful protest and dissent. Known for his environmental advocacy in Ladakh, Wangchuk was detained following a series of demonstrations calling for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.
Previously, on October 6, the Court issued a notice regarding the plea.
The petition states that Wangchuk, an internationally recognized innovator and social reformer, was detained on September 26, 2025, by the Deputy Commissioner of Leh while recovering from a prolonged fast aimed at securing constitutional protections for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
He was subsequently moved to Central Jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, without being provided the grounds for his detention.
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