The union Government today opposed a plea seeking permission for Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk to appear before the Supreme Court via video conferencing from Jodhpur Central Jail in the hearing on the challenge to his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

The habeas corpus petition has been filed under Article 32 by Dr Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife, questioning the legality of his detention following the September Ladakh protests for statehood, which later turned violent.

The matter came up before a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria, but could not be taken up as both sides’ counsel were engaged in another hearing.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Dr Angmo, sought an order allowing Wangchuk to be connected via video link from jail.

However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union, strongly opposed the request. He argued, “I have something to say on that because then we will have to give the same treatment to all convicts across the country. It’s not an exception we can make… Wherever there is live streaming, the accused and the convict will have to be connected via VC.”

The court was hearing Dr Angmo’s petition challenging Wangchuk’s detention, naming the union of India, Ladakh Administration, and the Superintendent of Jodhpur Central Jail as respondents.

On October 6, the Supreme Court issued notice with Sibal arguig that the grounds of detention had not been supplied.

SG Mehta countered that the law does not require grounds to be given to the detainee’s spouse.

Sibal clarified that he was not relying on non-supply to the wife as a ground, but needed the documents to challenge the detention itself.

The Leh District Magistrate, in an affidavit, denied illegality in the detention and stated that the grounds were served to Wangchuk within the prescribed time. It also said he has not yet made a representation against the order.

A separate affidavit from the Jodhpur Jail Superintendent stated that Wangchuk’s wife, brother, and lawyers were permitted to meet him.

Dr Angmo, in her additional grounds, argued that the detention order is legally unsustainable, relying on irrelevant and outdated FIRs, extraneous and undisclosed material, suppression of facts, and self-serving statements by authorities.

She has also claimed that Wangchuk received an incomplete detention order, and that too, three days after being detained on September 29.

On October 15, the Supreme Court permitted Dr Angmo to obtain the notes Wangchuk had prepared for his legal challenge. These were handed over on Oct 16.

The matter is expected to be taken up once both sides are available for arguments.