The Central government has withdrawn the preventive detention order issued against Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act.
The decision was communicated through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which exercised its authority under the law to revoke the detention. Wangchuk, a Ladakh-based activist and innovator, had been detained since September 2025 after authorities invoked the NSA in connection with protests in the region.
The detention order had originally been issued by the District Magistrate of Leh amid demonstrations linked to demands for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Authorities had cited concerns over maintaining public order while invoking the preventive detention law.
Following the Centre’s decision, the detention order has now been set aside, paving the way for Wangchuk’s release. The move comes while legal proceedings related to the detention were pending before the Supreme Court of India.
Wangchuk’s detention had drawn attention from activists and civil society groups, with questions being raised about the use of preventive detention laws in the context of protests in Ladakh. The revocation of the order marks a key development in the matter.