Detaining authority didn't apply mind, relied on irrelevant material: Sonam Wangchuk's wife to SC
New Delhi (PTI): Jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, told the Supreme Court on Monday that the detaining authority had not not applied his mind and relied on irrelevant material while detaining her husband.
She told the court that four videos relied upon by the detaining authority have not been furnished to Wangchuk, which is a violation of his right to effective representation.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the court for Angmo, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale that not supplying the videos violated Wangchuk's right to effective representation before the Advisory Board as well as the government.
Sibal further argued that the district magistrate did not apply his mind while recommending Wangchuk's detention and only "copy-pasted" the recommendations made by the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ladakh.
"Grounds of detention are simply a copy-paste of the recommendation. The material relied upon should have a proximate link to the detention order. Irrelevant things were relied upon for detention," Sibal said.
The hearing in the matter remained inconclusive and will continue on January 13.
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Angmo had earlier submitted that the tenor of a speech delivered by her husband at Leh was not to propagate violence, but to quell it, and that facts are being manipulated to portray him as a criminal.
Angmo had also told the court that Wangchuk was not provided with the "complete grounds" of his detention and not given a proper opportunity to make a representation to the authority concerned against the action.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26, 2025, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union Territory.
The government has accused Wangchuk of inciting the violence.
The NSA empowers the Centre and 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.
The Leh district magistrate (DM) had earlier told the apex court that Wangchuk indulged in activities prejudicial to the security of the State, maintenance of public order and essential services, which led to his detention under the NSA.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the DM had denied that Wangchuk was detained illegally or was being treated improperly under detention, and submitted that the grounds of his detention were communicated to him.
Angmo, in her plea, has said the unfortunate events of violence in Leh on September 24 last year cannot be attributed to Wangchuk's actions or statements in any manner.
Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically stated that it would lead to the failure of Ladakh's "tapasya" and peaceful pursuit of five years, Angmo said, adding that it was the saddest day of his life.
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TN set for crucial Assembly polls; over 5.73 cr voters to decide fate of 4,023 candidates
Chennai (PTI): Over 5.73 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 4,023 candidates in the fray for the crucial Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23, amid tight security and a massive crackdown by election authorities to prevent inducements to influence voters.
The high-stakes contest primarily pits the DMK-led SPA against the AIADMK-led NDA, with Chief Minister M K Stalin seeking to retain power and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami fighting to return to the treasury benches after five years.
Addressing a press conference here, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said the state is fully prepared for the huge democratic exercise. "The total electoral strength stands at 5.73 crore, comprising 2.93 women, 2.83 crore men, and 7,728 third-gender persons," Patnaik said.
Highlighting the importance of youth participation, Patnaik noted that 14,59,039 first-time voters have been enrolled.
"The voting will take place across 75,064 polling stations situated in 33,133 locations, with the Commission deploying 1,06,418 ballot units along with 75,064 control units and VVPAT machines. To prevent any technical delays, a reserve of 20 per cent for EVMs and 30 per cent for VVPATs has been maintained," the CEO added.
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The state has witnessed an aggressive enforcement campaign against the influence of money and materials. Patnaik disclosed that the total value of intercepted items has reached Rs 1,262 crore, of which actual seizures of cash and other material amount to Rs 543 crore.
"The enforcement machinery has been particularly active on digital platforms, where 163 FIRs have been lodged in connection with various violations. The social media monitoring cell has ensured the removal or blocking of 2,180 URLs across different platforms," Patnaik said.
The CEO also stated that 243 rebuttals and clarifications were issued to counter misinformation on social media during the campaign period.
Responding to queries regarding allegations of digital bribery and the distribution of cash substitutes -- such as pamphlets resembling cheques for Rs 8,000 or Rs 2,000 -- Patnaik asserted that FIRs have been filed in all cases where such items were seized.
She emphasised that the Commission is taking help from cybercrime units for social media patrolling and will act strictly as per the law. The official further noted that the District Election Officers have carried out maintenance at polling booths at the local level to ensure they are accessible and voter-friendly.
Regarding logistics for those on duty, Patnaik informed that 68,501 service electors are on the rolls, including 909 personnel from the Bihar battalion enrolled for the first time.
"On the postal ballots front, 4,18,541 votes have been received so far, while 1,10,595 Election Duty Certificates have been issued to personnel who will cast their votes at the same booths where they are stationed. The state has also recorded 3,98,513 electors aged 85 and above, many of whom have already utilised the home voting facility," she added.
EVMs are already on their way to the polling stations.
The Commission has placed a heavy emphasis on inclusivity and special management of booths. There are 249 model polling stations, 325 'pink' stations managed entirely by women, 71 managed by persons with disabilities, and 29 managed by youth.
Additionally, some districts are piloting green polling stations to reduce the environmental impact of the election. Security remains a top priority, with 300 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces deployed alongside 83,875 local police personnel.
Out of the total polling booths, 5,949 in 3,025 locations have been identified as highly sensitive, Patnaik said. To manage these areas and ensure peaceful polling, 300 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed, working alongside 83,875 local polling police personnel.
Addressing a common voter query about the use of mobile phones, Patnaik clarified that devices are strictly prohibited inside the polling booth. However, she highlighted a special effort this year to provide facilities to collect and store mobiles outside every polling station.
She also encouraged voters to use the Vazhikatti app to easily find their specific booths. For those who may not have received their physical booth slips, Patnaik noted that awareness campaigns have been extensive and manual identification processes are in place to ensure no eligible voter is turned away.
The political stakes of the election have been magnified by the debut of TVK founder Vijay, who is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East. The Dravidian majors have doubled down on their respective developmental agendas, with Stalin promising a model state and Palaniswami focusing on restoring past administrative standards.
The Election Commission has also commenced the second phase of the International Election Visitors Programme, with delegates set to visit dispatch centres, control rooms, and media monitoring units to witness polling on April 23.
Following the conclusion of voting at 6 pm on April 23, all EVMs will be transported to 62 approved counting centres across the state. The results of this high-decibel contest will be known when the counting takes place on May 4.
