NEW DELHI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Delhi High Court seeking the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and over 120 individuals from Ladakh who were detained at Singhu Border. The group was marching towards Delhi, demanding the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The PIL, filed by Advocate Vikram Hegde, was presented before a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, with the matter expected to be heard on October 3. The plea urges the court to revoke the Delhi Police’s prohibitory order issued on September 30, which blocked the group from entering the capital.
The group, led by Wangchuk, had embarked on the “Delhi Chalo Padyatra” from Leh, aiming to peacefully raise their demands. These demands include statehood for Ladakh, a public service commission, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil.
In addition to the PIL, another petition has been filed by a participant of the march, seeking permission for a peaceful environmental awareness march in Delhi, culminating at Rajghat on October 2. Both petitions call for the lifting of restrictions and the right to peaceful assembly.
The detention comes after Delhi Police has imposed prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) at several places in Delhi for the six days over the intelligence inputs that some unsocial elements may attempt to create a nuisance in the first week of October.
Under section 163 of the BNSS (formerly section 144 of CrPc), there will be a prohibition on certain things, which include assembly of five or more unauthorised persons, carrying of fire-arms, banners, placards, lathis, spears, swords, sticks, brickbats etc., pocketing or dharnas in any public area etc.
Commissioner Sanjay Arora, through an official order, conveyed that inputs were received that multiple organisations have given calls for holding and organising various events in the nature of protests, demonstrations and campaigns in the territory of Delhi from September 30 till October 5.
