Wangchuk’s arrest under NSA ‘illegal, violates his fundamental rights’: Indian SC
New Delhi: The Indian Supreme Court termed the arrest of activist Sonam Wangchuk under National Security Act (NSA) as “illegal and an arbitrary exercise violating his fundamental rights as it heard the plea filed by his wife.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the apex court adjourned further hearing of the plea until December 8.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought time to respond to the rejoinder filed by Wangchuk’s wife.
According to the amended plea, “the detention order is founded upon stale FIRs, vague imputations, and speculative assertions, lacks any live or proximate connection to the purported grounds of detention and is thus devoid of any legal or factual justification…”
The plea said that it is wholly preposterous that after over three decades of being recognised at the state, national, and international levels for his contributions to grassroots education, innovation, and environmental conservation in Ladakh and across India, Wangchuk would suddenly be targeted.
She said the unfortunate events of violence in Leh on September 24 cannot be attributed to the actions or statements of Wangchuk in any manner.
Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically stated that violence would lead to the failure of Ladakh’s “tapasya” and peaceful pursuit of five years, his wife said, adding that “it was the saddest day of his life.”
Wangchuk, a prominent activist and engineer, was arrested on September 26 under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), just two days after four civilian protesters were killed and dozens more injured in Indian forces’ firing on demonstrators in Leh. The protesters were demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Wangchuk is currently lodged in Central jail at Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
