Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether there was any possibility of it rethinking or relooking at the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying that “his medical condition is not that good”.The top court also asked the Centre to brief it on the government’s stand on the next date of hearing and directed the authorities to place before it the original file related to Sonam’s detention.The observation came a day after the Centre and the Union Territory administration of Ladakh told the top court that Sonam was detained for allegedly instigating people in a sensitive border area.Justifying the detention, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale that all procedural safeguards were followed while invoking the National Security Act (NSA).“This court is dealing with a person who is instigating people in a border area, adjacent to Pakistan and China, where regional sensitivity is involved,” Mehta said, adding that all provisions of the NSA had been “scrupulously complied with” and that Sonam was being treated fairly.The arguments remained inconclusive and will continue on the next date of hearing, PTI reported.Earlier, the Centre had claimed that Sonam attempted to instigate Gen Z and had referred to protests such as those seen in Nepal and Bangladesh, including mentions of “Arab Spring-like agitations.”The court was hearing a plea filed by Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, challenging his detention under the NSA.She has alleged that the detention is illegal, arbitrary and violative of his fundamental rights. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, argued that the police relied on “borrowed material” and selective videos to mislead the detaining authority.The plea further said it was wholly “preposterous” that Sonam was being targeted after more than three decades of work and recognition at the state, national and international levels for his contributions to grassroots education, innovation and environmental conservation in Ladakh and across India.Sonam, who is lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, was detained on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured.The government has accused him of inciting the violence, a charge Angmo has denied, stating that Sonam had himself condemned the violence and said it would lead to the failure of Ladakh’s peaceful movement.
