'Illegal detention': Sonam Wangchuk's wife approaches high court over forced hospitalisation
PTC News Desk: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking his transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private hospital, saying she no longer trusts the treatment being provided at the government-run facility.
Angmo has requested the court to hear the matter urgently on the same day.
In her petition, she claimed that Wangchuk has been "illegally and unlawfully detained" at Safdarjung Hospital under the guise of medical treatment. She said he was shifted to the hospital on the 21st day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
The petition asks the court to declare his continued stay at the hospital as illegal and unconstitutional, alleging that it violates his fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
It also seeks Wangchuk's immediate release or discharge, claiming he has been kept in isolation and has not been allowed to meet his lawyer or the doctors who had been monitoring his health during the first 20 days of his hunger strike.
In a post on X, Angmo said she had "lost faith" in Safdarjung Hospital. She alleged that doctors informed the family that Wangchuk's potassium level had dropped to 2.9, describing it as a life-threatening condition. However, she claimed the hospital's official health bulletin only mentioned "decreasing potassium levels" without revealing the actual figure, raising concerns about the transparency of his medical treatment.
Angmo further claimed that after nearly 10 hours and repeated requests, the family was allowed to collect Wangchuk's blood sample at around 10.30 pm, and an independent laboratory test reported his potassium level at 3.5, which she said was within the normal range.
"It is not medical care. It is illegal detention," Angmo wrote, adding that if anything happened to Wangchuk, "the hospital authorities and the government must bear full responsibility."
The development follows political chaos that erupted following Wangchuk's removal from the protest site and subsequent admission to the hospital. Meanwhile, the hospital authorities said that he was weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration but remained stable and required continuous medical monitoring.
- With inputs from agencies
