A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking the release of climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk and over 120 Ladakhi individuals detained at the Singhu Border, according to an exclusive report by The New Indian Express.
The group, which was marching towards Delhi, was calling for Ladakh's inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The PIL, submitted by advocate Vikram Hegde, was placed before a division bench composed of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. The matter is set for a hearing on October 3, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The plea requests the court to overturn the Delhi Police's prohibitory order issued on September 30, which prevented the group from entering the capital.
Led by Wangchuk, the group had launched the Delhi Chalo Padyatra from Leh to peacefully voice their demands. Their key requests include statehood for Ladakh, a public service commission, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil.
Alongside the PIL, another petition from a participant in the march is seeking permission for a peaceful environmental awareness march in Delhi, with the march to conclude at Rajghat tomorrow, Wednesday, October 2.
Both petitions advocate for the lifting of restrictions and uphold the right to peaceful assembly.
The detentions followed the imposition of prohibitory orders by Delhi Police under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), following intelligence inputs suggesting the possibility of disruptions by certain groups in the first week of October.
Section 163 of the BNSS (previously Section 144 of the CrPC) prohibits actions such as the assembly of more than five unauthorised individuals, carrying weapons, banners, or placards, and conducting demonstrations or dharnas in public spaces.
Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora conveyed, through an official order, that intelligence inputs had indicated multiple organisations were planning to stage protests, demonstrations, and campaigns across Delhi from September 30 to October 5.
