I’ve faith in judiciary, believe in 'Satyamev Jayate': Gitanjali Angmo on Wangchuk case

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) HIAL co-founder Gitanjali J Angmo on Thursday said that while there are several “procedural lapses” in the NSA case against her husband and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, she had faith in the judiciary.

Interacting with the media in the Supreme Court complex after the top court adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by her challenging Wanghchuk’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA) to March 10, Angmo asserted that she and her husband believed in ‘Satyamev Jayate’, and hoped for “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Adjourning the hearing, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale said it will go through the videos of Wangchuk's speeches given to it during the Holi vacation.

Asked about the ongoing hearing, Angmo claimed there was a delay in providing the detention order as well as the material pertaining to it, which itself was enough ground to dismiss the case.

Wangchuk has been booked under the NSA for his alleged role in the violence in Leh on September 24 last year, which killed four people and injured 161 others.

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.

“Four letters have been written by Sonam stating that I do not have any videos. That is why I am not able to do the representation, and because of that, Sonam had to make two representations... So, according to Section 8, this is one ground that is enough to quash the NSA,” claimed Angmo, co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL).

“Earlier, they said there is a four-hour videography in which all the videos were shown to Sonam on the 29th (September), when they were given the detention order.

“But later they said it was only 40 minutes, not four hours. Those videos were given to the Supreme Court last week, but we have hardly seen one or two minutes… Police only showed the list of the videos,” she said.

The detention order had relied upon these videos, which was a major procedural lapse, she claimed.

Angmo also claimed the detention order was a “cut, copy-paste” of the SSP's recommendation “paragraph by paragraph”, which was also a procedural lapse that the court has taken cognisance of.

“The FIRs on whose basis the detention was effected were stale, and secondly, Sonam's name was not mentioned in any of them,” she said.

Angmo added that she had faith in the judiciary and hoped that an order would be given in the next hearing on March 10.

“We genuinely believe in the motto, Satyamev Jayate, taken from our Upanishads. The truth will triumph. This case is also proof that there have been many lapses on the part of the government,” she claimed.

“We have pointed out in the writ petition that the Supreme Court and the judges have listened to this hearing very patiently. While there have been delays, what I heard is that this matter was taken up promptly because it was a habeas corpus plea,” she said.

“So, now the judges at least have all the facts. I think March 10 will be the final hearing, and hopefully the matter will be closed,” Angmo said.

She also said that Wagchuk suffered a gastrointestinal infection in the Jodhpur jail where he is currently lodged, but is better now.

“Both Sonam and I believe that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. So, never lose hope, positivity, or resilience. This country is destined to become a great nation,” she said. PTI AO ARI