Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan, hours after being arrested on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), according to the Ladakh administration.
In a midnight announcement, the Ladakh administration stated that Sonam Wangchuk had been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan.
The arrest came two days after violent protests by supporters of the movement for Ladakh’s statehood and the Sixth Schedule, which resulted in four deaths and 90 injuries from police firing.
Wangchuk had begun a 35-day fast on 10 September in Leh, demanding the Sixth Schedule, statehood, and protection for Ladakh’s delicate ecosystem. However, he ended his fast on 24 September after massive violence broke out in the town.
Reacting on social media to Wangchuk’s detention, several people described it as a “black day” for Ladakh. Some others called for the resignation of Lt. Governor Kavinder Gupta, blaming him for the “indiscriminate” firing by the police that led to the deaths of four innocent people, including a retired soldier.
The official announcement at midnight said: “Sonam Wangchuk, S/o Shri Sonam Wangyal, R/o Uley Tokpo, Leh, has been detained under the National Security Act, 1980.”
“Time and again, it has been observed that Shri Sonam Wangchuk has been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state and detrimental to the maintenance of peace, public order, and services essential to the community.”
“Despite clear communication from the Government regarding the High-Powered Committee (HPC) meeting and offers for prior meetings before the HPC, Sonam Wangchuk, with ulterior motives, continued his hunger strike. His series of provocative speeches, references to the Nepal agitations, Arab Spring, etc., and misleading videos led to the violent protests of 24 September 2025 in Leh, during which institutions, buildings, and vehicles were burned. In the aftermath, police personnel were attacked, leading to the unfortunate deaths of four individuals. The entire episode could have been avoided if he had risen above his personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike when dialogue with the government resumed on the same agenda,” the official press release said.
“It is important to restore normalcy in the peaceful town of Leh in Ladakh. To ensure this, it is also essential to prevent Sonam Wangchuk from further acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order. In the backdrop of his provocative speeches and videos, for the larger public interest, it was not advisable to keep him in Leh District”.
“In this backdrop, the administration, based on specific inputs, took a considered decision to detain Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) and move him to Jodhpur”, the official press release added.
