Freedom in the Balance: Gitanjali Angmo Appeals to SC for Wangchuk’s Release on Launch Day

Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Legal Action, has Begun in the Supreme Court

New Delhi, October 3, 2025 – Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk, has moved the Supreme Court on the very day of this appeal (a "launch day" symbolizing new hope of justice) seeking his release following his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

The Plea to the Supreme Court

Gitanjali Angmo, through her advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare, has constituted a formal challenge to the NSA rollout and demanded the immediate release of her husband by election. She has questioned the legality of the arrest stating that the order of the detention has not been delivered to her, a procedural gap that undermines due process, she argues. Moreover, she stresses that she has not been in touch with Wangchuk following his arrest.

The Arrest and the Unrest

On September 26, 2025, Sonam Wangchuk was arrested, two days after protests in Leh, Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections escalated into violence. The clashes resulted in four deaths and injuries of many, which led to a heavy crackdown. When taken into custody Wangchuk was put in Jodhpur jail.

The administration, among other steps, has suspended Wangchuk's non-governmental organization's registration and, in addition, accused him of instigating through "provocative statements."

Gitanjali’s Charges and Her Demands

Angmo's petition, in brief, depicts a "full-scale witch-hunt" that targets the silencing of her husband's activism. She alleges that the Ladakh police have a hidden agenda to prevent the implementation of the protective measures of the Sixth Schedule. Moreover, she repudiates government assertions that Wangchuk was involved with foreign or intelligence agencies, calling them unfounded and defamatory.

She has not only turned to the Supreme Court for help but also to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah for their intervention.

Stakes & Wider Reaction

This case is highly publicized as a test of human rights versus the use of draconian national security laws against dissenting voices. The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other groups have already demanded that the NSA provision in Wangchuk’s case be rescinded. Demonstrations supporting his release have also broken out in Uttarakhand, and the protesters there call the detention "an attack on democracy."

Moreover, the Ladakh administration has issued an order for a magisterial investigation into the September violence, requiring a report within a month.

At the unfolding of this “launch-day” scenario, the Supreme Court’s reaction is anticipated by all. Will Gitanjali’s plea be successful in grabbing Wangchuk’s freedom, or will the call of national security supersede procedural scrutiny? It seems, the forthcoming days will determine the fate of activism and legal frontiers in India.