New Delhi- The wife of renowned Ladakhi innovator and educationist Sonam Wangchuk has written a compelling letter to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, alleging a "chaotic state of affairs" and a "full-scale witch hunt" following his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and his subsequent transfer to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, over 1,000 kilometres from his home.

The letter, dated October 1 and written by Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo, Founder and CEO of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), provides a detailed and personal account of the events since September 26, painting a picture of secrecy, isolation, and a systematic clampdown on dissent in the ecologically fragile region.

Dr. Angmo states that she was at the HIAL campus on September 26 when she received a call from Insp. Rigzin Gurmet, the Station House Officer of Leh, at around 4 PM. The officer informed her that her husband had been "detained" under Section 3(2) of the NSA, a preventive detention law that allows for incarceration without a formal charge or trial for up to 12 months.

Crucially, the officer clarified that it was "not an arrest as there is no FIR, but a detention under NSA." Wangchuk was immediately shifted to Central Jail in Jodhpur, accompanied by ASP Rishabh Shukla. The SHO assured Dr. Angmo that she would be allowed to speak with her husband upon his arrival in Jodhpur.

This message was followed by a formal text message, which Dr. Angmo reproduced in her letter. The message, however, contained a significant error, referring to the detainee as "Shri Sonam Angchuk" instead of Sonam Wangchuk.

Six days on, Dr. Angmo claims these assurances have been broken. "Till today, i.e. 1st Oct 2025, the officer has not called me or made me speak to my husband. I am completely unaware about my husband's condition," she writes. She adds that she was promised an explanation of her legal rights, which has also not been provided, leaving her in a state of legal limbo.

Expressing deep concern for Wangchuk's health, she reveals that he was not allowed to take any personal belongings, including clothes, and she is unaware if he has been provided with basic amenities or the daily medicines he requires. She highlights his physically weakened state following a 15-day fast in September 2025, undertaken to draw attention to the environmental and constitutional demands of Ladakh.

Crackdown on HIAL and an Emergent FIR

The letter describes a parallel atmosphere of intimidation at the HIAL campus in Phyang Village. Dr. Angmo states she was placed under CRPF surveillance, and students and staff of the institute were put under "tight surveillance." Two members of the institute were taken into police custody over the past three days, "presumably without any authority of law."

Furthermore, she alleges a media blackout, stating that the media was barred from entering the campus to "speak to us so that the truth does not reach the world."

Adding a new layer to the case, Dr. Angmo mentions that a copy of a communication dated September 30, from a "Special Investigation Team," was delivered to her institute's security guard. The letter requests a detailed list of all fellowship students, residential staff, and teacher trainees at HIAL, complete with personal details and photographs, in connection with a newly registered FIR.

The FIR, numbered 144 of 2025, invokes a sweeping array of sections under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including charges related to waging war against the government (121), attempted murder (309), voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons (326), and various sections related to abetment and conspiracy.

"Is it a Crime?": A Plea on Principle

In a powerful rebuttal to the implicit accusations behind the detention, Dr. Angmo poses a series of poignant questions to the President. "Is it a crime to speak about climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms and grassroot innovation?" she asks. "To raise one's voice for upliftment of a backward tribal belt which is ecologically fragile in a peaceful Gandhian manner for the last four years? It certainly cannot be termed as a threat to national security."

She forcefully defends her husband's legacy, reminding the President of his work in building shelters for the Indian Army and his unwavering stand for "the solidarity of India and the strengthening of our borders." She argues that treating a "son of the soil of Ladakh so shabbily is not just a SIN but a strategic error."

Appealing to President Murmu's own tribal background, Dr. Angmo expresses hope that she would "understand the feelings of the people of Leh Ladakh better than anyone else."

The letter concludes with a set of direct requests, seeking basic rights for a detainee's family:

1. The right to meet and speak with her husband.

2. The ability to assist him in understanding the grounds of his detention and seeking legal justice.

3. The right to know his physical and mental condition.

4. A reaffirmation of the citizens' entitlement to peaceful freedom of expression and movement.

Describing the state's actions as "violative of the spirit and ethos of the Constitution of India, including Articles 21 and 22," Dr. Angmo makes a final, emotional appeal to the President as "the embodiment of the principles of Equity, Justice and Conscience" to intervene and secure the "unconditional release" of her husband.