Sonam Wangchuk case: Advisory Board holds 3-hour discussion in Jodhpur Jail, wife present

Jaipur, Oct 24 (IANS) The members of the Advisory Board on Friday held a three-hour hearing at Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan to review the detention of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA).

The three-member panel arrived at the jail around 10:30 a.m. from the Jodhpur Circuit House to record Wangchuk’s statements and review documents related to the case. Wangchuk’s wife, Geetanjali Angmo, was also present during the proceedings.

The hearing was conducted by Advisory Board Chairman and former judge M.K. Hujura, District Judge Manoj Parihar and social activist Spal Jayesh Angmo.

The Advisory Board is a special constitutional body constituted under the National Security Act (NSA) 1980, which reviews cases of preventive detention

The closed-door session reportedly focused on the reasons cited by the administration for invoking the NSA and Wangchuk’s representation challenging the same.

Sonam Wangchuk, a well-known innovator and environmentalist from Ladakh, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) earlier this year. The move triggered nationwide protests and legal challenges, with several rights groups calling the detention arbitrary.

The Supreme Court is also hearing petitions against the government’s action.

Wangchuk’s wife, Geetanjali Angmo, stated that their legal team has challenged both the grounds of detention and the procedural lapses in the case. She alleged that Wangchuk’s statements and videos were distorted and presented out of context, forming a misleading basis for the NSA order.

It determines whether the detention has adequate justification. The board comprises three members, all of whom are sitting or former High Court judges, appointed by the Chief Justice of the High Court of the respective state.

The government must submit all relevant documents to the board within three weeks of detention, and the board must send its report within seven weeks.

Proceedings remain confidential, and detainees are heard in person without the presence of lawyers. The board’s recommendations will determine whether Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA continues or is revoked, said officials.

--IANS

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