Plea filed in Delhi HC against detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk

The development comes after Wangchuk and several others were detained at the Delhi border while marching to the capital to demand Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.

The matter related to the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk reached Delhi High Court after a plea was filed in the court on Tuesday. The matter was mentioned for listing before a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela by the counsel for the petitioner. Refusing to list the matter today itself, the court agreed to list the matter for hearing on October 3, if it is in order by 3:30 pm.

The development comes after Wangchuk and several others were detained at the Delhi border while marching to the capital to demand Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.

Around 120 people from Ladakh, including Wangchuk -- who had marched to the national capital demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory -- have been detained by the Delhi Police at the national capital's border.

The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, seek its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Wangchuk was leading the march, 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which began from Leh a month ago. He and around 120 others from Ladakh were detained on Monday night.

Wangchuk and those accompanying him were detained at the Delhi border for violating prohibitory orders and were taken to different police stations, including Bawana, Narela Industrial Area and Alipur, according to a police officer.

"We tried to convince them to go back as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (which prohibits assembly of five or more people) is imposed in the national capital but they were adamant," the officer said.

Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa told PTI that around 30 women were among those detained and they were kept with the male detainees.

"Several people from Ladakh have been detained. They have been kept at different police stations. I met some of them late last night and early today," Haneefa said.

He said around 60-70 people from Kargil who had come to join the march at the Singhu border on Tuesday morning were also stopped by Delhi Police.

(With inputs from PTI)