Sonam Wangchuk's wife moves Supreme Court challenging activist's detention under NSA

Gitanjali J Angmo filed the plea through advocate Sarvam Ritam Khare on October 2, Bar and Bench reported.

It is not clear whether the plea would be heard this week as the court is on vacation for Dussehra.

Wangchuk was arrested for allegedly provoking a mob that turned violent and resulted in the deaths of four protesters during the agitation demanding statehood for Ladakh.

A key trigger was a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk starting around 10 September 2025.

Also, two older protesters (72-year-old Tsering Angchuk and 60-year-old Tashi Dolma) who were part of a longer hunger strike became seriously ill and were hospitalized. 

Ladakh Director General of Police (DGP) SD Singh Jamwal had questioned Wangchuk’s visits to Pakistan, claiming the activist had participated in a Dawn event there and sought to derail talks with the Centre on Ladakh’s statehood demand, NDTV reported.

The police chief also revealed that a Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) had recently been arrested in connection with the case, pointing to alleged links between the operative and Wangchuk.

Elaborating on the charges, the police chief alleged Wangchuk had instigated the clashes in Leh on September 24.

“Sonam Wangchuk has had a history of instigating (people). He has referred to the Arab Spring, Nepal, and Bangladesh,” Jamwal said.

He further accused the activist of disrupting dialogue with the Centre.

“This involved some so-called environmental activists; there is a question mark on their credibility as well. They tried to hijack the platform, and the prime name here is Sonam Wangchuk, who has earlier also delivered such statements and worked to derail the process,” he alleged.