Delhi High Court refuses to intervene in Sonam Wangchuk’s treatment

The Delhi High Court refused to pass an interim order on a plea seeking activist Sonam Wangchuk's transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private hospital. The court said doctors were monitoring his condition and listed the matter for hearing on July 24

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Sunday refused to interfere with activist Sonam Wangchuk’s treatment at Safdarjung Hospital here.

Justice Mini Pushkarna said no interim order was required at this stage on a petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, seeking permission to shift him to a private hospital. The petition will be heard next on July 24.

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In a special hearing held on Sunday, Justice Pushkarna said doctors at Safdarjung Hospital were closely monitoring the fasting activist, and it could not be said that any force was being used against him in violation of his bodily integrity.

The judge also said the government’s decision to shift Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital could not be termed arbitrary.

Justice Pushkarna further observed that Wangchuk’s wife, his brother and his brother-in-law have been given round-the-clock access to him.

She issued notices to the Centre, Safdarjung Hospital and the Delhi Police on Angmo’s plea seeking his transfer to a private hospital.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma submitted that there should be no reason for any “doubt” in the matter. He said Wangchuk was being taken care of by doctors at Safdarjung Hospital, but he had to cooperate.

“Needless to state that Sonam Wangchuk will cooperate with doctors in administering medical intervention if necessary, if he so chooses,” the court said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, said they wanted Wangchuk to be shifted to Medanta Hospital.

Emphasising that Wangchuk was not under detention, Sibal asked whether an individual could be denied admission to a hospital of his choice.

On Saturday, Wangchuk was forcibly taken to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on the 21st day of his hunger strike.

He has been on a hunger strike since June 28 over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the suicides of several students following the cancellation of the exam earlier.