HC refuses to order Sonam Wangchuk's discharge, says Govt intervention 'not arbitrary'

The Delhi High Court on Sunday refused to pass an interim order directing the immediate discharge or relocation of climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital. Justice Mini Pushkarna ruled that the government's decision to forcibly shift Wangchuk from his protest site at Jantar Mantar was not an arbitrary action, given his deteriorating health after an extended hunger strike. The court noted that because Wangchuk had not voluntarily checked himself into a medical facility despite his worsening condition, the state was fully within its rights to intervene and preserve his life.

The legal challenge was mounted by Gitanjali J. Angmo, who argued through Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal that Wangchuk was being held in unauthorized isolation, denied access to his lawyers, and restricted from transferring to a private hospital of his choice. Sibal contested that while Wangchuk is a free citizen facing no criminal charges, police personnel were heavily deployed inside his room, taking away his bodily autonomy. Conversely, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, argued that 18 days of fasting in humid weather necessitated strict medical monitoring by a combined team of specialists from AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.

Medical assessments conducted during his admission revealed critical parameters, including mucosal dryness and low serum potassium levels of $2.9\text{ mEq/L}$, which doctors warned could become life-threatening. Although Wangchuk initially refused intravenous fluids and vitamins, he subsequently consented to oral electrolytes. The court concluded that no interim directions were required at this stage since his family maintains unrestricted daytime access and a separate waiting area. However, the bench directed the authorities to transparently share all medical reports with the family and issued formal notices to all parties ahead of the next hearing on July 24.