Delhi HC refuses immediate plea to shift Sonam Wangchuk to private hospital

The Delhi High Court today (19 July) declined to grant immediate relief on a plea by Sonam Wangchuk's wife seeking to shift the climate activist and education reformer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private medical facility, saying the government's decision to hospitalise him was not arbitrary.

Justice Mini Pushkarna observed that Wangchuk had been moved to the state-run hospital because of his deteriorating health and that doctors were closely monitoring his condition.

"Since the government has taken the decision to shift him to the hospital on account of his medical condition, this court does not find the same to be an arbitrary action," the judge said.

The court noted that Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, and other family members had unrestricted access to him at the hospital and said no interim order was warranted at this stage.

It, however, issued a notice to the government and directed it to file a response within three days to Angmo's petition seeking permission to transfer Wangchuk to a private hospital.

The petition was filed after Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital yesterday, the 21st day of his hunger strike. Angmo alleged there had been no medical emergency justifying his removal from the protest site.

Appearing for the government, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court that Wangchuk's health had deteriorated after prolonged fasting.

He said extended fasting could lead to ketosis, shock, hypoglycaemia and impaired kidney function.

Hospital authorities said Wangchuk's vital signs remained stable, although some blood parameters were "marginally altered", and that he required continuous medical supervision and round-the-clock monitoring.

In a post on X, Angmo alleged that the hospital had refused to discharge her husband or allow him to be shifted to a private facility despite repeated requests. She also claimed that police deployment at the hospital had severely restricted the family's movement.

Wangchuk, 59, has been on a hunger strike since 28 June in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding the resignation of India's federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks that affected millions of students.

The campaign has emerged as a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and has drawn support from across India.

Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court directed authorities to closely monitor Wangchuk's health and intervene if necessary after another petition sought directions to force-feed him as his condition weakened.

The CJP has announced plans to march to parliament tomorrow, the opening day of the latest parliamentary session, to press its demands.