New Delhi, 21 July (H.S.):

A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court has directed that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for nearly 20 days, be shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital. The order was passed by the Bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya.

During the hearing before the Single Bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and Delhi Police, had stated that the government was only concerned about Sonam Wangchuk’s health and that no compromise could be made regarding his life. He had said that the right of citizens to protest does not mean that they can put their lives at risk.

On July 19, Justice Mini Pushkarna’s Single Bench had refused to pass any interim order on a petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo and had directed the Centre to submit a status report regarding Sonam Wangchuk’s health condition.

During the hearing before the Single Bench, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gitanjali Angmo, had argued that Sonam Wangchuk had the right to receive treatment from a hospital and doctors of his choice. The court had then questioned why there was distrust towards government doctors.

Responding to this, Sibal had clarified that he was not questioning government doctors but only wanted Sonam Wangchuk and his family to have the option of choosing the hospital and doctors for his treatment. Sibal had also alleged that police personnel were deployed around Sonam Wangchuk, while his wife and family members were not being allowed to meet him and were being made to wait.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, had stated that the government was bound by its duty to save every individual’s life. He said that prominent personalities, including the President and other senior dignitaries, receive treatment at AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.

During the hearing, an AIIMS doctor present in the courtroom stated that the issue was not about medical treatment but about trust. Sibal responded by questioning the presence of police personnel near Sonam Wangchuk and asked whether a police officer was treating a patient whose blood pressure had increased. Chetan Sharma rejected the claim and said that no police personnel were present.

During the proceedings, Gitanjali Angmo stated that they wanted a second opinion regarding potassium levels but were denied permission. She further claimed that when they requested samples for testing, they were provided only after 12 hours, by which time the laboratories had closed.

Chetan Sharma responded that the court was not a platform for activism. Gitanjali Angmo had filed the petition seeking Sonam Wangchuk’s immediate release from Safdarjung Hospital or his transfer to another hospital. She alleged that Wangchuk was being kept under unlawful detention by being separated from his family, lawyers and personal doctors.

The petition stated that Sonam Wangchuk was taken from Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police on the morning of July 18 and was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital without his consent. It alleged that keeping him in the hospital without registration of any criminal case or any order of arrest or preventive detention by a court was illegal.

The petition further claimed that Sonam Wangchuk was being kept under custody in the name of medical intervention and that the action was taken only to remove him from a peaceful protest.

It also alleged that Delhi Police acted under the cover of a Delhi High Court order, whereas the court had only directed authorities to continuously monitor Sonam Wangchuk’s health condition.

Sonam Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged question paper leaks in NEET and other examinations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar