Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking permission to shift him from Safdarjung Hospital to a private medical facility, alleging that she has lost confidence in the treatment being provided at the government hospital. She said she would seek an urgent hearing on Sunday, July 19.
In a series of posts on X, Angmo claimed that despite repeated requests, the hospital authorities had refused to discharge Wangchuk or permit his transfer to a private hospital chosen by the family. She also alleged that heavy police deployment at the hospital had severely restricted the movement of family members.
Describing the situation as “illegal detention”, Angmo claimed that around 30 police personnel were stationed on the hospital floor where Wangchuk is admitted, with more than 100 deployed across the premises. She argued that families should have the right to decide where their loved ones receive medical treatment.
Angmo further alleged that the public health bulletin issued by Safdarjung Hospital did not disclose Wangchuk’s actual potassium level.
Wangchuk was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday after Delhi Police shifted him from the Jantar Mantar protest site on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike. He has been fasting since June 28 in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk issued a handwritten message from the hospital, urging supporters to make the proposed July 20 march to Parliament a success. In the note, shared by Angmo on X, he described the march as India’s “second freedom movement”, calling for “freedom from injustice” over alleged examination paper leaks and “freedom from fear”, which he linked to what he described as his continued “illegal detention” at Safdarjung Hospital.
Maintaining that he was being kept in the hospital against his wishes after being removed from the protest site, Wangchuk reiterated his support for the movement. The CJP has called for the July 20 march to Parliament, demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities, reforms to the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
