Delhi HC declines plea to shift Sonam Wangchuk to private hospital

Social activist Sonam Wangchuk will continue receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital after the Delhi High Court declined to grant interim relief on his wife’s plea to shift him to a private medical facility.

Wangchuk was admitted to the government-run hospital by Delhi Police after remaining on a hunger strike for nearly three weeks.

His protest focused on the alleged NEET paper leak and on demands for reforms in the education system.

Hearing the matter, a bench led by Justice Mini Pushkarna observed that the authorities acted within their powers by hospitalising Wangchuk, considering his deteriorating health. The court ruled that no interim directions were required at this stage.

The bench also accepted the hospital’s submission that Wangchuk had voluntarily taken oral medication without sugar.

Therefore, the court said there was no evidence of force or any violation of his autonomy. It further noted that his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, and other family members had been granted unrestricted access to meet him.

During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, argued that Wangchuk should be shifted to Medanta Hospital.

He maintained that the choice of treatment and hospital rested with the patient. However, the Centre opposed the request, stating that shifting Wangchuk could pose serious health risks.

Representing the government, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma argued that authorities were responsible for safeguarding Wangchuk’s life.

He also pointed out that even the President receives treatment at a government hospital. Earlier, government sources had cautioned against moving Wangchuk out of Safdarjung due to medical concerns.

The Centre also sought the court’s permission to take all necessary measures to protect Wangchuk’s health if required. In response, the court clarified that the final medical decisions would rest with the treating doctors.

Additionally, the High Court directed the authorities to file a status report within three days. The matter will be heard again on July 24.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk’s hunger strike began on June 28 as part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak.

His wife is scheduled to lead a march to Parliament tomorrow in support of the protest’s demands.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image published on March 01, 2017

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/917715