File image of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 12, 2026) asked the Centre if climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was able to see, on his part, four videos the authorities are citing, among other clips, to justify his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
Appearing before a Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale, Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj said the authorities banked on 23 videos to order detention, and everything was supplied to Mr. Wangchuk.
However, the activist’s lawyers maintained four videos were not in the pen drive given to Mr. Wangchuk and that he has repeatedly sought the videos from the authorities.
During the hearing, Mr. Nataraj submitted that the detention had prevented the violence from escalating in a sensitive border area.
On February 11, the court had pointed to phrases in statements made by Mr. Wangchuk expressing his anxiety about departing from the Gandhian, non-violent mode of struggle. The Centre had strongly objected to the court associating Mr. Wangchuk, whom the government counsel described as a person “completely anti-India”, with Mahatma Gandhi.
Sonam Wangchuk incited violence by referring to Nepal, Bangladesh and Arab Spring: Centre tells SC
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Mr. Nataraj had disagreed with the court’s earlier proposal to relook the detention order on medical grounds. Mr. Mehta said Mr. Wangchuk’s “health facade was manufactured and synthetic”.
The activist has been detained in Jodhpur Central Jail for nearly five months since September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and several injured in the Union Territory.
Published – February 12, 2026 10:18 pm IST
