Sonam Wangchuk Health Update: Delhi HC to Hear Plea Seeking Hospitalisation Amid Hunger Strike

The Delhi High Court is set to hear a petition tomorrow seeking the immediate hospitalisation and force-feeding of activist Sonam Wangchuk. He has been on a hunger strike for the last 17 days.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court will hear a plea involving activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on hunger strike for 17 days. The appeal urgently requests the court's action to safeguard his well-being. The petition requests that explicit directives be provided for Wangchuk's urgent hospitalisation. It goes one step further, proposing that authorities be allowed to force-feed the activist due to the length of his fast. This legal manoeuvre focuses attention directly on the activist's health, as his demonstration continues without interruption.

The court was asked to intervene on medical grounds.

The case, which is slated for a hearing tomorrow, basically asks the judiciary to intervene and demand medical care. The main point of the petition is to save lives, even if it means going against the protester's own wishes. After 17 days without nourishment, the petition raises serious issues. The court's ruling will be significant. All eyes are now on the Delhi High Court to see how it would handle the sensitive plea to hospitalise and force-feed a major activist involved in a long-running protest.

Mr. Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28 in favour of the Cockroach Janta Party, which is seeking action on issues affecting the country's education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“The government cannot allow that an offence to be committed ‘Abetment of Suicide’ Section 108 of BNS, 2023, failure on the part of the government would virtually amount to commission of abetment of suicide,” the plea said.

Mr. Saini said the government must give proper medical attention, “even if forcibly to ensure his good health and to save his life”.

“For this purpose, the simple thing to be done by which it can be ensured is to take him to a government hospital and force-feed him the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals, by way of a liquid diet which are necessary for a human body to survive,” the plea added.