Centre Lifts Detention of Sonam Wangchuk Months After Leh Demonstrations

The Government of India on Saturday revoked the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (India) with immediate effect.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (India) said the decision was taken to promote peace, stability and mutual trust in Ladakh and to facilitate constructive dialogue with stakeholders in the region. The Centre added that it remains committed to ensuring necessary safeguards for Ladakh.

Vivek Tankha, a Rajya Sabha MP who had been leading the legal battle for Wangchuk’s release in the Supreme Court of India, welcomed the move.

“I am glad that the Government of India has notified the release of Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act. Sonam was detained in Ladakh on September 26. His actions were misunderstood. He is an icon of climate change and glaciers — a real nationalist,” Tankha said.

Arrest during 2025 protests

Wangchuk, an engineer, innovator and education reformer from Ladakh, was detained by police on September 26, 2025. His arrest came during violent protests in Leh demanding statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.

Authorities detained Wangchuk while he was on his way to a press conference and booked him under the National Security Act, alleging that he had incited unrest in the border-sensitive region. The protests reportedly left four people dead and around 90 others injured, with officials describing him as a “chief provocateur”.

The detention was later challenged in the Supreme Court of India by his wife, Tsering Angmo, during hearings held in January and February 2026. At the time, the Centre defended the move, arguing that the detention had helped restore normalcy in the region and that due legal procedures were followed. Wangchuk had spent more than 140 days in custody at a jail in Jodhpur before the order was revoked.