Wife of Hunger‑Strike Activist Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Delhi High Court Relief Over Hospitalisation Order

On Monday, Gitanjali J. Angmo, the wife of the well‑known activist Sonam Wangchuk, stepped into the Delhi High Court with an appeal that has quickly become a talking point across the capital.

She is asking the court to set aside a Sunday order that, in her view, effectively cages her husband at Safdarjung Hospital without any arrest or his own say‑so on treatment. Angmo argues that the order sidesteps the fundamental principle of informed consent – the right of a person to accept or reject medical intervention.

Justice Mini Pushkarna, hearing the matter on a special Sunday bench, declined to interfere with the existing medical arrangement. The judge reasoned that the government’s decision to move the fasting activist from Jantar Mantar to a government hospital could not be labelled “arbitrary” and that, for the time being, an interim order to shift him elsewhere was unnecessary.

According to the court’s observations, doctors at Safdarjung are closely monitoring Wangchuk’s condition and no force is being used against him that would violate his bodily integrity. The single judge also noted that the high court’s earlier order from July 16, which instructed authorities to keep an eye on Wangchuk’s health and step in medically if needed, still stands.

Angmo’s petition specifically sought permission to transfer her husband to a private medical facility of his choosing. She filed the urgent request on Sunday, a day after police had forcibly taken the protester to Safdarjung on the 21st day of his hunger strike.

Wangchuk began his fast on June 28, demanding answers over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and the tragic deaths of several students linked to the sudden cancellation of the NEET paper. His protest has drawn nationwide attention, with many questioning the state’s handling of exam reforms and student welfare.

The debate now pivots to a larger legal and ethical question: should a person on a voluntary hunger strike retain the absolute right to decide his own medical fate, or does the state have a duty to intervene when a life hangs in the balance? Angmo’s appeal is likely to keep the courts, activists, and the public wrestling with that dilemma for weeks to come.