Supreme Court Offers Glimmer of Hope for Sonam Wangchuk's Release if Evidence of Suppressed Records is Found

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The Supreme Court has hinted at potentially releasing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk if it determines that authorities suppressed material used to justify his detention. Wangchuk has been in jail since September 26, 2025, following violent protests in Ladakh that left four people dead and several injured. In a hearing on Thursday, the court responded to arguments from Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, that the grounds for his arrest were based on suppressed evidence. The National Security Act (NSA) was invoked to detain Wangchuk, who was accused of instigating the violence. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Angmo, presented four videos that formed the basis for Wangchuk's detention but were not included in the documents provided to him. Sibal argued that the suppression of these documents rendered Wangchuk's arrest invalid. The court agreed to consider this point, suggesting that if it finds in Wangchuk's favor, it may not need to examine other grounds for his detention. Sibal also pointed out that Wangchuk was not provided with all the documents required for a fair hearing before the Advisory Board. He argued that there should be a time lag between the supply of documents and the hearing, as per Article 22(5) of the Constitution. The court has adjourned the matter to next week, leaving Wangchuk's fate uncertain. His wife has claimed that his arrest was a deliberate attempt to destroy his credibility, and that the detention constitutes a clear violation of the Constitution. The Ladakh administration has disputed these claims, saying that Wangchuk's actions were prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order.