Sonam Wangchuk’s Release Plea: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre; posts matter for hearing on October 14

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 06 (STC): The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Union government on Habeas Corpus petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh-based activist Sonam Wangchuk. The matter has been posted for next hearing on October 14.
Angmo has challenged her husband’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) after the violence erupted in Leh last month.
It’s pertinent to mention that Wangchuk, who is presently lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, was detained under the stringent National Security Act(NSA) on September 26, two days after protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh leftfour people dead and 90 injured in the Union Territory.
A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria sought the response of the government. the Ladakh administration and Jodhpur jail, after a brief hearing, several media outlets reported.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, said that the plea is assailing the detention. “We are against the detention,” he informed the court. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, said that the grounds of detention have been supplied to Wangchuk.
“Issue notice,” the Bench said.
Notably, Angmo in her plea filed through senior lawyer Vivek Tankha and lawyer Sarvam Ritam Khare, Angmo has also questioned the decision to invoke the NSA against Wangchuk, which allows detention without a trial for up to 12 months.
She has sought urgent listing of the plea and a direction to the Ladakh administration to “produce Sonam Wangchuk before this court forthwith”.
It also sought immediate access to the detenue, and quashing of the preventive detention order.
The plea, which named the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ladakh UT administration, deputy commissioner of Leh, and the Jodhpur jail superintendent as parties, also sought a direction to them to “allow immediate access of the petitioner to her husband, both telephonic and in person”.

(Inputs from Agencies / Straight Talk Communications)