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Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, Mar 14: The Climate activist from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk walked out of the Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan n Saturday after he was released from the central jail, six months after he was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly inciting violence in Ladakh.

An official said Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, received him as he walked free hours after the Union home ministry revoked his detention. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had announced earlier in the day that it was revoking Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA. After the necessary paperwork, Wangchuk left with Angmo in a private vehicle around 1pm.

Wangchuk, 59, was accused of misleading people through provocative mention of Arab Spring-style protests. The Union home ministry revoked his detention with “immediate effect,” citing the need to facilitate “constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders.”

“The Government remains committed to fostering an environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust in Ladakh so as to facilitate constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders. In furtherance of this objective, and after due consideration, the Government has decided to revoke the detention of Sonam Wangchuk with immediate effect by exercising the powers available under the National Security Act,” the Ministry said.

The MHA, in a statement said the Union Government had been actively engaging with various stakeholders and community leaders in Ladakh with a view to addressing the aspirations and concerns of the people of the region.

Notably, the Centre’s order came after Mr Wangchuk’s wife said he would not pursue the path of agitation after he is released from detention but will continue to be part of the movement to demand constitutional safeguards for Ladakh through discussion and dialogue.

Mr Wangchuk had conveyed through one of his social media accounts on Thursday that he has not stepped away from activism but it will require “clarity, unity, and sincere dialogue.”

The release came days before the Supreme Court is set to hear on March 17 a habeas corpus petition of Angmo over the activist’s incarceration under the 1980 law, which allows detention for up to 12 months without trial. Wangchuk was detained on September 26, two days after the protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh turned violent, leaving four people dead and 45 injured. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also launched a preliminary inquiry against an institute that Wangchuk founded.

On February 25, activists staged a demonstration in Jodhpur seeking Wangchuk’s release, prompting police to put up barricades on the road leading to the Central Jail. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot welcomed Wangchuk’s release but said the episode raised serious questions about the functioning of the Narendra Modi-led government.

In a post on Gehlot questioned how a person described as a threat to national security a few months ago could suddenly be released now. He wondered whether this meant there was no evidence against him.

Gehlot asked who would account for the 170 days Wangchuk spent in detention and why he was arrested in the first place. He questioned whether the political interests of the ruling party determined the definition of national security. Gehlot said such “convenient use of laws with an authoritarian mindset” was condemnable and a serious blow to the credibility of democratic institutions. He added that the people were watching these double standards.

Center had detained Mr Wangchuk under the NSA accusing him of inciting violence by referring to protests in Nepal, Bangladesh and had shifted him to Rajasthan. The Center had also said in the Supreme Court that he can’t be released on bail on health grounds, arguing, “health facade was manufactured and synthetic.” Mr Wangchuk was “fit, hale and hearty” and was medically examined 24 times in the five months of his confinement, the Center had argued in the court, during the hearing on February 2026.

In a recent interview, Geetanjali Angmo had discussed Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest, the legal process leading to his release, and had stressed the movement led by her husband was not just about one person, but a broader struggle for Ladakh’s identity, environment, and democratic rights.