Angmo, through her lawyer Sarvam Ritam Khare, has filed a plea challenging the detention of Sonam Wangchuk and is seeking his immediate release. The plea also questions the decision to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against Wangchuk. Angmo alleged that she has yet to receive a copy of the detention order, which she claims is a violation of the rules. Moreover, she stated that she has had no contact with Wangchuk since his detention.
Recently, the Ladakh administration rejected claims that Wangchuk’s detention is part of a “witch-hunt” or a “smokescreen” operation. Meanwhile, on social media platform X, Wangchuk’s wife expressed her distress over the lack of information regarding his health and the grounds for his detention. She wrote, “I have sought relief from the Supreme Court of India through a habeas corpus petition against Wangchuk’s detention. It is one week today. Still, I have no information about Sonam Wangchuk’s health, the condition he is in, nor the grounds of detention.”
Earlier, Gitanjali J Angmo strongly criticized the Centre and alleged instances of police torture against the people of Ladakh following the violence on September 24 in the Union Territory. Drawing a parallel with British India, she claimed that the Union Home Ministry is “misusing” the Ladakh Police. She wrote on X, “Is India really free? In 1857, 24,000 Britishers used 135,000 Indian sepoys to oppress 300 million Indians under orders from the Queen. Today, a dozen administrators are misusing 2,400 Ladakhi police to oppress and torture 3 lakh Ladakhis under the orders of the MHA.”
Angmo’s criticism of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the police comes amid a curfew in Leh and police firing in response to the violence that occurred on September 24. Following the detention of Sonam Wangchuk under the NSA, Gitanjali Angmo has denied allegations claiming Wangchuk was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative. She also accused the Ladakh police of acting with an ulterior agenda.
“Whatever the DGP is saying, he has an agenda. They don’t want to implement the Sixth Schedule under any circumstances and want to make someone a scapegoat,” she alleged.
In addition, Gitanjali Angmo has submitted representations demanding the immediate release of Shri Sonam Wangchuk to key officials including the President of India, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Law Minister, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, and the Deputy Commissioner of Leh.
The violence on September 24 claimed four lives amid police retaliation after protesters set fire to a political party’s office. The protests initially began as demands for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, which eventually escalated into clashes with police officials in Leh.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/ladakh-violence-sonam-wangchuks-wife-moves-sc-seeks-his-immediate-release-23596995