Sonam Wangchuk was detained from Leh last month after protests demanding statehood turned violent.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the plea filed by activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife against his detention today regarding his arrest aftr the mass protests in Leh.
Wangchuk was detained from Ladakh last month after violent protests in the hill town and was transferred to Jodhpur jail where has been booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
The habeas corpus petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, was filed on October 2 following Wangchuk’s arrest on September 26.
Wangchuk's detention
Wangchuk was taken into custody after statehood demand protests in Leh turned violent on September 24, resulting in casualties. Protestors also set ablaze the headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) there. Authorities allege that Wangchuk played a key role in inciting the demonstrations.
Few days after his detention, the Ladakh administration issued a statement accusing him of repeatedly invoking the idea of “self-immolation” in his public speeches, drawing parallels to protest tactics used in Tibet, a rhetoric that officials claim posed a serious threat to public order.
The administration confirmed that the “grounds of detention” were formally served to Wangchuk, who remains incarcerated under the NSA—a law that allows for preventive detention in cases involving national security or public order concerns.
Leh unrest
On September 24, protestors demanding statehood clashed with the police in Leh town. Police opened fire to quell protestors in which four people were killed and several others suffered injuries. Curfew was imposed and internet blocked as authorities blamed Wangchuk for the violence.
Crackdown against Wangchuk
The Union home ministry said the mob violence in Ladakh over the full statehood demand was guided by Wangchuk's “provocative statements” of Wangchuk.
"On 24th September, at around 11.30 AM, a mob motivated by his provocative speeches left the venue of the hunger strike and attacked a political party office as well as the Government office of the CEC Leh. They also put these offices on fire, attacked the security personnel, and torched the police vehicle," the MHA statement said.
The government also cancelled the FCRA registration of his nonprofit, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, citing 'repeat' violations of the law governing foreign funding for non-governmental organisations.
The NGO is around three decades old and is working in Ladakh for alternate education, environment and youth empowerment programmes.
Wangchuk's message from jail
Wangchuk appealed the people of Ladakh to maintain peace and unity and continue with the ongoing struggle for statehood in the true Gandhian way of non-violence and demanded an independent judicial inquiry,
Wangchuk conveyed the message through the legal advisor of Leh Apex Body, Haji Mustafa, who along with the activist's elder brother Ka Tsetan Dorjey Ley, met him at Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan on Saturday.
Wangchuk said that unless there is an independent judicial inquiry into the killing of the four people during the September 24 violence, “I am prepared to stay in jail”.
Mustafa posted Wangchuk’s "message" on his personal social media accounts, including X and Facebook, on Sunday after meeting the activist.
“I am doing well, both physically and mentally and thank everyone for their concern and prayers. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those people who lost their lives and my prayers with people who are injured and are arrested,” Wangchuk said.
