NEW DELHI, Feb 16: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Centre over the accuracy of video transcripts submitted against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in his detention case under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale emphasized that translations must be precise, especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence, noting that the government’s 7–8-minute transcript did not match Wangchuk’s three-minute speech.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal highlighted that some statements attributed to Wangchuk were never made, while Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj said the government relied on departmental transcripts.
The court directed the Centre to provide the actual transcript of Wangchuk’s statements for verification.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Wangchuk had been medically examined 24 times since his detention and was “fit, hale and hearty,” and that the grounds for detention continued to exist, making release on health grounds impossible.
Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention, asserting he had condemned the violence in Leh on September 24, 2025, and could not be held responsible.
The NSA allows detention up to 12 months to prevent acts deemed “prejudicial to the defence of India.”
The court will resume hearing the matter on Thursday, focusing on transcript accuracy and the legal basis for Wangchuk’s detention. (PTI)
