The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Centre to ensure that activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health is medically examined every day by government doctors and that necessary medical intervention is provided if his condition deteriorates.
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Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since June 28 as part of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which is demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the examination system. Track July 16 updates on CJP protest here
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the life of every citizen is precious and that the authorities must make every possible medical attempt to protect it.
“While noticing the assurances given by the Solicitor General we observe that life of citizens is precious and all medical attempts must be made by the government authorities to appreciate the same and we direct that medical condition of Sh Wangchuk shall be regularly monitored on daily basis and depending on the opinion of doctors, whatever medical intervention is required be taken, considering his deteriorating condition. The petition is disposed of,” the court said in its order.
The directions came in a petition filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini seeking directions to the Centre and Delhi government to shift Wangchuk to a hospital and provide him medical treatment, including force-feeding if necessary. In his petition, Saini asserted that Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated significantly during the hunger strike, with the activist allegedly losing 8.5 kg. It claimed that if the fast continues, his life could be at risk within the next two days.
“If he passes away, it would be a matter of great shame for the country and the world,” the plea stated.
What govt told court over Wangchuk
This was after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, assured the court that Wangchuk’s health will be monitored daily by government doctors and medical experts. He further submitted that any medical intervention considered necessary, based on their assessment of his deteriorating condition, would be undertaken promptly.
Opposition leaders and over 1,800 members of civil society, including academics, artists and activists such as Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Arundhati Roy, Nivedita Menon, Jean Drèze, Lalita Ramdas and Kavita Srivastava, wrote a letter on Tuesday, urging Wangchuk to end his hunger strike.
“His life is invaluable to the entire world because it embodies a commitment to humanity and the environment that is as profound as his commitment to democracy,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a post on X.
The CJP has been protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 20. It emerged amid controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant during a hearing on conferring the “senior” designation on lawyers.
The CJI allegedly referred to “youngsters” as “cockroaches” and “parasites”. He later clarified that he had been misquoted and that the remarks were directed at individuals entering the legal profession with “fake and bogus degrees”.
