Activist Sonam Wangchuk during his 18th-day hunger strike along with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) sought the responses of the Centre and the Delhi government on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking urgent intervention to safeguard the health of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked the Centre and the Delhi government to respond on the plea by tomorrow (July 16, 2026) due to the “urgent” nature of the issue.
Sonam Wangchuk | Ladakh’s engineer of change
Advocate and social activist Rakesh Kumar Saini filed the petition, contending that Mr. Wangchuk’s health had deteriorated after several days of fasting and urged the authorities to take immediate steps to protect his life.
Mr. Saini relied on a news report published in The Hindu on July 14 titled “Fasting Student Hospitalised, Wangchuk loses 8.25 kg as strike continues” to seek directions to the Centre and the Delhi government to provide proper medical assistance to Mr. Wangchuk.
Mr. Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28, in support of the Cockroach Janta Party demanding action on issues concerning the country’s education system and the resignation of the 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.
Published – July 15, 2026 12:54 pm IST
