The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh on a writ petition filed by activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo, challenging his detention under the National Security Act and seeking his immediate release.A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, however, refused to pass any order on her plea for providing her the grounds of detention and posted the matter for hearing on October 14.
“Something has been done for now,” the bench said.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union territory. The government had accused him of inciting the violence.
The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”. The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
Wangchuk is lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.