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[POLITICS] · India · 100 sources

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Sonam Wangchuk Hospitalisation Dispute Continues as Delhi High Court Rules Shift to Safdarjung Not Arbitrary

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since late June to protest alleged exam paper leaks and demand the resignation of the Union Education Minister. After his health deteriorated, police seized him and placed him in Safdarjung Government Hospital on 18 July. Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali (Geetanjali) Angmo filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking his transfer to the private Medanta Hospital, alleging illegal detention.

The single‑judge bench rejected the interim relief, stating that the government’s decision to admit Wangchuk was not arbitrary and that his right to bodily autonomy was not violated because he consented to oral fluids and supplements. The court ordered the government, police and hospital to file a status report within three days. Later, a larger bench directed that Wangchuk be shifted to Medanta and that a panel of doctors oversee his treatment.

Medical bulletins from VMMC, Safdarjung and AIIMS reported that Wangchuk’s vital signs are stable but that he requires continuous monitoring due to low blood sugar, potassium and dehydration from the prolonged fast. The activist has outlined three conditions for ending his fast, including government accountability for the education‑exam failures.

Separately, the Chief Justice of India’s spokesperson’s claim that police assaulted Angmo and protesters was refuted by Delhi Police as false. The dispute remains focused on the legal and medical aspects of Wangchuk’s confinement and the broader student‑led protest movement.

Sources

about 2 months ago
about 2 months ago