Non-application of mind, ‘copy-paste’ order led to detention under NSA: Wangchuk in SC

Sonam Wangchuk, a climate activist, argued in the Supreme Court that his detention on September 26, 2025, was based on vague and irrelevant grounds. Kapil Sibal, representing Wangchuk and his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, contended that the detention order lacked independent application of mind by the authorities. Sibal argued that Section 5A of the National Security Act, 1980, which allows for the "severability" of grounds for detention, effectively makes detention all-pervasive and infringes on Wangchuk's constitutional right to effective representation. The activist was detained following protests for Statehood to Ladakh that escalated into violence resulting in multiple deaths.