Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk during a hunger strike. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) asked whether the Centre could rethink the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk considering his health condition, while pointing out that he has been in confinement since September 2025, for nearly five months now.
A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale observed that Mr. Wangchuk’s health report was not good.
“Considering the health condition of the detainee… The report, which we saw earlier, shows that his health is not that good. Is there a possibility for the government to rethink, or even relook?” the Bench asked Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Centre.
Mr. Nataraj agreed to seek instructions. He, meanwhile, submitted that Mr. Wangchuk had made provocative speeches, which had led to violence in Leh in 2025 in which four people died and 161 were injured.
“It was ultimately his provocative speech, provocation, instigation. The person need not actively participate, the propensity of a person to influence a group of persons… That is more than sufficient,” Mr. Nataraj argued.
The law officer contended that the order of Mr. Wangchuk’s detention was approved on October 3, 2025, and there was no challenge to the approval order.
Also read: Protests against government actions or inaction not anti-national, Wangchuk tells Supreme Court
Mr. Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on September 26, 2025, two days after violent protests demanding Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and several injured in the Union Territory. He was shifted to the Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by Mr. Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo against his detention under the stringent NSA.
Published – February 04, 2026 10:12 pm IST
