Centre Revokes Detention Of Sonam Wangchuk Under National Security Act

The Union Government has revoked the detention of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), stating that the decision was taken in order to restore peace and create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue in Ladakh.

In a statement, the government said Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, under the NSA following a serious law-and-order situation in Leh on September 24, 2025. The detention order had been issued by the District Magistrate, Leh, with a view to maintaining public order in the region.

The government noted that Wangchuk had already undergone nearly half of the maximum period of preventive detention under the NSA.

The Supreme Court has been hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Dr Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, challenging his detention since last October. Following the detention, he was transferred to Jodhpur Central Jail.

A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Prasanna B Varale is scheduled to hear the matter on March 17.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, Angmo's lawyer, had challenged the detention, inter-alia, on the ground that all relevant materials, which formed the basis of detention, were not supplied to him. There was a dispute as to whether videos of the speeches, which the administration had claimed were inflammatory, were given to Wanghchuk. While the administration claimed that they had given a pendrive containing the videos to Wangchuk, the Court asked if he actually had an opportunity to watch them.

The Court also remarked during the hearing that the administration was "reading too much into" the speeches of Wangchuk. The bench also flagged certain discrepancies in the translations of the speeches.