Ladakh violence: SC to hear wife's plea challenging Sonam Wangchuk's detention on Oct 6
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is slated to hear on October 6 a plea filed by Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J Angmo challenging the climate activist's detention under the National Security Act, and seeking his immediate release.
According to the apex court's cause list for October 6, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria.
Wangchuk was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26, two days after protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union territory.
Wangchuk is lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.
In her plea filed through senior lawyer Vivek Tankha and lawyer Sarvam Ritam Khare, Angmo has also questioned the decision to invoke the NSA against Wangchuk, which allows detention without a trial for up to 12 months.
Filing the habeas corpus (bring the person) writ, the spouse of the detained activist sought urgent listing of the plea and a direction to the Ladakh administration to "produce Sonam Wangchuk before this court forthwith".
It also sought immediate access to the detenue, and quashing of the preventive detention order.
The plea, which named the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ladakh UT administration, deputy commissioner of Leh, and the Jodhpur jail superintendent as parties, also sought a direction to them to "allow immediate access of the petitioner to her husband, both telephonic and in person".
The plea alleged that Wangchuk's detention was "illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional", violating the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, 21 and 22 of the Constitution.
"Wangchuk, who has been an internationally acclaimed innovator, environmentalist, and social reformer, has always espoused Gandhian and peaceful methods to highlight the ecological and democratic concerns of Ladakh," it said.
On September 26, Wangchuk was detained by the deputy commissioner of Leh under Section 3(2) of the NSA, as he was recovering from a prolonged fast to highlight Ladakh's demand for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.
He was swiftly shifted to the Central Jail in Jodhpur without being provided medicines, personal belongings, or access to his family and counsel, the plea said.
No grounds of detention have been furnished till date, either to Wangchuk or to his family, the petition submitted.
His wife alleged that she has been kept under virtual house arrest in Leh, while students and staff of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, are facing harassment, intimidation, and intrusive investigations.
"The arbitrary transfer of Wangchuk to Jodhpur, the harassment of students and staff of HIAL, the virtual house arrest of the petitioner herself, and the false propaganda linking Wangchuk to foreign entities clearly demonstrate mala fide state action intended to suppress democratic dissent and peaceful environmental activism," the plea said.
Wangchuk's detention has also inflicted severe mental pain and anguish on the people of Ladakh, who revere him as their leader, it added.
"A recent tragic incident has been reported where a member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association committed suicide, allegedly depressed after his (Wangchuk's) detention, underscoring the devastating psychological impact on the community," it said.
"Direct respondents to ensure that Sonam Wangchuk is provided with his medicines, clothes, food and other basic necessities forthwith," the plea said.
It also sought a direction to the authorities to place before the top court "the order of detention along with grounds of detention and all records pertaining thereto".
It sought a direction to the respondents to produce a medical report of Wangchuk, after immediate doctor consultation, before the court.
"Stop immediate harassment of HIAL and its members/students who have done no harm and are tirelessly working for the benefit of the ecology," the plea said.
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.
ED attaches Anil Ambani's 'Abode' worth Rs 3,716 crore in PMLA case
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has attached Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani's Mumbai house, 'Abode', worth Rs 3,716 crore under the anti-money laundering law.
The attachment comes a day before Ambani, 66, is expected to appear before the federal probe agency here for his second round of questioning on Thursday in a case linked to the alleged bank loan fraud involving Reliance Communications (RCOM).
The luxurious house, which is stated to be 66-metre high with 17 floors, is located in the Pali Hill area of Mumbai.
A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the multi-storeyed house in the case linked to an alleged bank fraud by Ambani's group company RCOM, the federal probe agency said in a statement.
It stated that the value of the attached asset was Rs 3,716.83 crore.
A part of this property, worth Rs 473.17 crore, was similarly attached by the ED in November, 2025.
RCOM and its group companies availed loans from domestic and foreign lenders with a total outstanding of Rs 40,185 crore, as per the ED.
An email sent by PTI to the Reliance Group seeking comment on the development remained unanswered.
The ED issues a provisional attachment order against an immovable or movable asset to prevent the accused from transacting, selling, or transferring it during the investigation.
Once the PMLA Adjudicating Authority confirms this order within the stipulated 180 days, the ED can confiscate the property and, in the case of a house, ask residents to vacate it.
Probe found that, among other assets, the Pali Hill property (Abode) was aggregated into the RiseE Trust, a private family trust of the members of Ambani's family.
"This was done to make it appear as though Mr Anil Ambani is not involved. The intended effect of this corporate restructuring was to ensure wealth preservation and resource generation by aggregation of the property in the RiseE Trust and shield it from the personal liabilities of Mr Anil Ambani in the form of Personal Guarantees extended by him to lender banks against the loans sanctioned to RCOM," the agency claimed.
It added that the property was intended to be "beneficially" used and owned by the Anil Ambani family and not for the distressed public banks whose loans became non-performing assets (NPAs).
With the latest order, the total value of the attachment in this case stands at about Rs 15,700 crore.
Ambani is expected to appear before the federal probe agency here for his second round of questioning on Thursday.
He first deposed before the ED in August 2025 and had his statement recorded under the PMLA.
The agency recently constituted a special investigation team to probe multiple cases of alleged bank fraud and linked financial irregularities against the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) on the directions of the Supreme Court.
