Why is Sonam Wangchuk in Jodhpur and not in Jammu?

On the first day of October, 2025, the maximum temperature in Leh was 15ºC and night-time temperature expected to dip to -1ºC. In Jodhpur, where he is lodged in jail, the maximum temperature was 33ºC and at night was expected to go down to a more pleasant 25ºC. For the Ladakh-born Sonam Wangchuk, as a perceptive observer remarked, the difference in temperature itself must appear as punishment.

The 59-year-old is, of course, not allowed to meet anyone except police and officials from Central and state agencies. Attempts by an MP and by activists to meet him went in vain, and permission to meet has even been denied to his wife Gitanjali Angmo.

Food served to him is as per the jail manual, prison officials confirmed, and a request for rice and chicken curry was turned down. While he is not in solitary confinement, these sources pointed out, in accordance with the law, the confinement is far from comfortable. At night, especially, lights are kept on and he is under round-the-clock surveillance.

I have sent this representation for the immediate release of Shri Sonam Wangchuk to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister, Law Minister of India, and the LG of Ladakh, with a cc to DC Leh. pic.twitter.com/6Y0xa46sNK

— Gitanjali J Angmo (@GitanjaliAngmo) October 1, 2025

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Wangchuk has, however, been given a room with a bed, fan and toilet facilities. But whether he is being treated as a political prisoner or an ordinary one has not been made clear by jail authorities. A jail source said Wangchuk is not happy with the food served to him as it is devoid of rice, meat and chicken. He is also not allowed to eat food brought from outside.

Picked up from his village in Ladakh on 24 September, and flown to Jodhpur the same night, Wangchuk was apparently served with the warrant citing reasons for his detention under the NSA (National Security Act) on 30 September, Tuesday. He is yet to be produced before a magistrate and the warrant, by all accounts, is yet to reach his wife. Contrary to the promise made by the SP of Leh on 24 September, Wangchuk was not allowed to speak to his wife on phone after he reached Jodhpur or on subsequent days, adding to his discomfort and anxiety.

The “grounds of detention” were served by the UT administration of Ladakh and a copy was forwarded to the jail  superintendent in Jodhpur, the sources claimed. Now that the “order of detention” and the grounds have been served, courts can be petitioned for legal redressal and he could move the high court even in Jodhpur, said Ajit Bhandari, a senior lawyer in Jaipur.

BREAKING 🚨

People in Jaipur Rajasthan today protested demanding the release of activist Sonam Wangchuk. pic.twitter.com/WknV8JLLZj

— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) September 30, 2025

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Jodhpur jail was chosen to lodge him, say sources in the government, because there is a BJP government in the saddle, which can be trusted to deal with any public protests in sympathy or support. The stringent three-tier security at the ‘high security’ jail is meant for his own safety, explained police officials in Jaipur.

CPI(M) Lok Sabha MP Amra Ram, along with party workers from Jodhpur, tried to meet Wangchuk in Jodhpur Central jail on Saturday, but was not allowed to do so by jail officials. They went back after raising slogans demanding his release from prison. A 50-year-old activist, Vijaypal, also threatened to go on a hunger strike in protest against Wangchuk's arrest. The activist reached the prison the day after Wangchuk was brought to Jodhpur. He was detained and later released after interrogation.

The detention order, claimed usually reliable sources, accuses the environmentalist of fomenting discontent, threatening to intensify the agitation if demands were not conceded. He has also been held responsible for the violence in Leh which left four dead and over 100 people injured. According to unconfirmed claims, the order accuses him of instigating people with references to 'Gen Z protests' in Nepal and students in Bangladesh overthrowing Sheikh Hasina's government.

Jodhpur jail, which dates back to the princely era, has lodged several high-profile inmates over the years, including actor Salman Khan and Asaram Bapu, the spiritual leader convicted of rape. Over 300 terror-accused in Punjab were also lodged here. Several terror accused belonging to the Indian Mujahideen and Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Abdul Ghani Lone were also detained in Jodhpur jail.