Delhi HC questions videography of Sonam Wangchuk’s medical exams

Delhi HC Questions Videography, Seeks Medical Reports

The Delhi High Court has asked medical teams from Safdarjung Hospital and activist Sonam Wangchuk’s side to submit their respective medical reports by 12:30 PM tomorrow. The direction came after the bench raised sharp questions over videography of the fasting activist’s medical examinations.

The direction came during a joint consideration of high-profile petitions stemming from the ongoing youth and climate protests at Jantar Mantar. Advocate Subhash Chandran KR, representing former JNU Students’ Union President Aishe Ghosh in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against “illegal surveillance” by the Delhi Police, revealed that the court has ordered the Solicitor General to review landmark Supreme Court judgments on privacy before both matters are taken up together tomorrow.

During the proceedings, the bench took note of friction between the state-run hospital administration and the activist, questioning the legal rationale behind recording intimate medical checkups.

“…We were representing Aishe Ghosh, who is a petitioner before the Delhi High Court… Our matter pertains to the illegal surveillance by Delhi Police. In Sonam Wangchuk’s case, the High Court has given a direction to Delhi Police and Sonam’s advocate to call their doctors to the court tomorrow at 12:30… the court was asking whether Sonam Wangchuk is cooperating with the administration or with the medical checkups. The doctor who presented before the court today informed the court that Sonam Wangchuk is not cooperating when he was videographed. Then the court asked the question, ‘Why are you videographing his medical test?’… both sides, the Safdarjung Hospital as well as the Sonam Wangchuk side, will have to submit the reports before the court tomorrow… In my matter related to Aishe Ghosh, the Court has directed the learned Solicitor General to go through the judgments already passed by the Supreme Court of India regarding the privacy issues. So the matter will be taken up along with Sonam Wangchuk’s matter at 12:30 tomorrow.”

The dual legal challenge has put Delhi Police’s protest-monitoring methods under close scrutiny.

Protesters Meet Union Minister, State Demands

Earlier, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das on Monday said they met Union Health Minister JP Nadda and raised three demands, including resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of the NEET aspirants, “more than 20 of whom have lost their lives”. He said activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is in a hospital, should be “released immediately”

Key Demands Outlined

Das said that the protest will continue till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. “We met JP Nadda twice. During the meeting, we stated our three demands. First, that Sonam Wangchuk be released immediately… Second, we demand that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign; he should either be dismissed from the Cabinet or resign voluntarily. The protest will continue until his resignation is secured. Third, we demand compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the NEET aspirants, more than 20 of whom have lost their lives. We approached JP Nadda regarding these demands,” Das told ANI.

Government Responds to Protesters

Nadda said in a post on X that the government held talks with the delegation of protesters. “This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere,” he said.

“An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM. I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” he added. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)