SC questions Centre over transcripts of videos in Sonam Wangchuk detention case
_vb_87.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Centre about the transcripts of videos submitted by it against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and said the translations should be precise in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale told Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj that it wanted actual transcripts of Wangchuk's statements from the government after senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that some of the words attributed to the activist were never said by him.
"Mr Solicitor, we want an actual transcript of the speech. What he relied upon and what you say are different. We will decide. There should be an actual transcript of what he says. You may have your reasons.
ALSO READ: 34 schools in Ahmedabad, Vadodara get bomb threat mails; cops declare them hoaxes after checks
"At least, whatever he stated, the true translation should be there... Your translation goes on for 7 to 8 minutes, but the speech is for 3 minutes. We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence; precision is at least 98 per cent for translation," the bench observed.
Sibal questioned the translation and said, "Wangchuk continued his strike… and also continued to provoke youth by taking reference of Nepal… Where is this line coming from? This is a very unique detention order — you rely on something that does not exist and then you say it is based on subjective satisfaction."
Nataraj told the court that there is a department for transcripts and said, "We are not experts in it."
The hearing will resume on Thursday.
The Centre had earlier told the apex court that Wangchuk had been examined medically 24 times since his detention and that he was "fit, hale and hearty."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the grounds on which Wangchuk's detention order was passed continue to exist and that it would not be possible to release him on health grounds.
"We have examined his health periodically 24 times. He is fit, hale and hearty. He had some digestive issues; he is being treated. There is nothing to worry about, nothing alarming. We can't make exceptions like this.
"The grounds on which the detention order was passed continue. It will not be possible to release him on health grounds. It may not be desirable either. We have given utmost consideration," Mehta told the bench.
The top court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, seeking a declaration that his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, is illegal.
The NSA empowers the Centre and the 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.
Angmo said the violence in Leh on September 24 last year cannot be attributed in any manner to the actions or statements of Wangchuk.
Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically said it would lead to the failure of Ladakh's "tapasya" and its peaceful pursuit of five years, Angmo said, adding that it was the saddest day of his life.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Over 17,000 people went missing in Delhi in 2024: NCRB
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 23,058 people, comprising 9,482 men and 13,576 women, were reported missing in Delhi in 2024, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Of the total, 5,491 were children below the age of 18 — 1,571 boys, 3,920 girls.
The city recorded 17,567 fresh adult missing persons cases in 2024, comprising 7,911 men and 9,656 women.
According to the NCRB data, released on Wednesday, 14,637 men, 18,238 women and six transgender persons were still missing from previous years.
At the latest count, in 2024, Delhi had a total of 55,939 missing persons cases — 24,119 men, 31,814 women and six transgender persons.
In 2024, police traced or collected 28,392 missing persons, including 12,182 men, 16,208 women and two transgender persons.
Only half of the men and half of the women who went missing could be traced.
A total of 27,547 missing persons – 11,937 men, 15,606 women, four transgender persons — were yet to be untraced by the end of the year, the data showed.
The data also revealed that 5,352 children from previous years remained untraced at the beginning of 2024.
The number of still missing boys was 1,621, and the number of missing girls was 3,729. Two transgender children were yet to be found.
After adding the pending cases from previous years, the total number of missing children cases handled in 2024 rose to 10,843.
The police traced or recovered 6,762 missing children — 2,030 boys, 4,732 girls.
The recovery rate stood at 63.6 per cent for boys and 61.9 per cent for girls, while no transgender child was traced.
By the end of 2024, a total of 4,081 children remained untraced, 1,162 of them boys, 2,917 girls, and two transgender children.
