Gitanjali Angmo seeks release of her husband, citing violation of Article 22 and absence of grounds for detention. Solicitor General tells SC there’s no legal requirement to provide detention grounds to the wife; Court seeks clarification.
BY PC Bureau
October 6, 2025: The Supreme Court on Sunday (October 6) issued notice to the Central Government in a writ petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh social activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, following recent violent clashes in Ladakh. A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday, October 14.
Filed under Article 32 as a habeas corpus petition, the plea seeks Wangchuk’s release from a Jodhpur jail. The petition contends that the detention is illegal under Article 22, as no grounds for his arrest have been communicated to either Wangchuk or his wife. The Union Government, the Ladakh Administration, and the Superintendent of Jodhpur Central Jail are named as respondents.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, argued that the grounds of detention should be supplied to his client. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta countered that the grounds have already been served to Wangchuk and that there is no legal requirement to provide them to his wife. Justice Kumar observed, “At this stage, we will not say anything,” while asking the SG about any impediment in sharing the grounds with the petitioner. The SG reiterated that the request was an attempt to create a new ground for challenging the detention.
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Central government on the Habeas Corpus plea filed by @GitanjaliAngmo. The plea emphasizes that @Wangchuk66 engaged only in peaceful protests, yet has been preventively detained without supplying grounds to his family, violating… pic.twitter.com/YmkeZW7jHk
— Rigzen Norbu (@rigzen_norbu) October 6, 2025
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Sibal clarified that the purpose of receiving the grounds was to effectively challenge the detention itself and not as a separate ground. The SG agreed to examine the feasibility of providing the information to Angmo.
On medical support, Sibal requested interim relief for Wangchuk. The SG stated that during medical examination, the detenu confirmed he was not on any medication, but assured that any required medical provisions would be arranged.
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Regarding Sibal’s plea for a meeting between Angmo and her husband, Justice Kumar noted that no formal request had been made and advised that a formal request must first be submitted. The SG criticized the petition as creating an “emotive issue” to portray Wangchuk as being denied medical care and access to his wife, suggesting the motive was media attention rather than legal necessity.
Justice Kumar also questioned why the petitioner had not approached a High Court. Sibal replied that the detention order was issued by the Central Government, leaving him unsure which High Court would have jurisdiction. Justice Kumar asked that this question be addressed in the next hearing.
