Supreme Court issues notice on Sonam Wangchuk's arrest, seeks response from Centre and Ladakh:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk following the Leh violence was challenged in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, hearing the case today, sought a response from the central government. The next hearing will be on October 14.

Sonam Wangchuk was detained on September 26 following the Leh violence. He has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA) and sent to Jodhpur jail. Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Geetanjali, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging his arrest.

Supreme Court issued notice

The Supreme Court, comprising Justices Arvind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, heard the case. The Supreme Court issued notices to the central government and the administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh. The court granted time until October 14th for filing their replies.

Allegations made in the petition

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Geetanjali in court, questioned the reasons for the arrest. Sibal told the court that the reason for Sonam's arrest was not made clear. He said, “According to the court's decision, the reason for any person's imprisonment must be disclosed to the family members. However, this did not happen in Sonam Wangchuk's case. Sonam's wife was not even allowed to meet him.”

What did the Centre say?

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the central government, argued in court that Sonam Wangchuk's arrest followed all legal procedures and that no rights of Sonam Wangchuk were violated.

Serious allegations against Sonam Wangchuk

It should be noted that violence broke out in Leh on September 24th, resulting in the deaths of four people. Two days later, on September 26th, Sonam Wangchuk was arrested. His NGO has been accused of receiving illegal foreign funding. Following his arrest, Sonam Wangchuk has been sent to a Jodhpur court.