Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk free, say Delhi cops; no, say pleas in high court

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Thursday informed the high court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been released and there were no restrictions in place. However, the court kept one of the multiple petitions filed seeking his release and whereabouts pending as it allowed the petitioner to file an affidavit and police to clarify their stance.
During the hearing in the first half, solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta submitted that Wangchuk and his associates had been released from detention.The senior law officer also informed a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela that the Delhi Police order prohibiting assembly and protests in various parts of the national capital had also been withdrawn.
Delhi High Court, which was hearing petitions seeking the release of Wangchuk and his associates, as well as challenging the prohibitory order, then closed the proceedings on these, taking note of Mehta's submission that "the (prohibitory) order, which was passed on Sept 30, now stands withdrawn in view of changed circumstances as they exist now. So far as persons who were allegedly detained, it was not detention in that sense, but they are also out".
Two petitions, by social activist Azad, who said he worked closely with Wangchuk, and lawyer Mustafa Haji, the legal adviser to Leh Apex Body, were filed seeking the activist's release. However, in a new twist, advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for a lawyer from Himachal Pradesh, alleged before the court in a post-lunch hearing that Wangchuk was "not totally free".
Bhushan contended that "according to our information, he is not totally free. They are not allowing Sonam Wangchuk to meet his other associates. They are kept in different places. Sonam Wangchuk has been taken apparently to Ladakh Bhawan and others are kept in Ambedkar Bhawan... There are still some restrictions. Let him be produced in court".
The court, however, said, "He is set free. Why should we call someone (who has been released)." It observed that the SG had already made a statement with respect to the release of Wangchuk and others. Mehta also objected to the claim. "This petitioner is an advocate practising in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and one of the persons marching with the group. Somebody in Himachal says as per my information they are not free and those who are with him say everyone is free. They want to keep the pot boiling," he told the bench.
Bhushan, however, said he would file an affidavit in support of his claim and urged the court to defer the hearing till Friday. "In case the statement is false, we will take action," the court told Bhushan, as it also asked police to file an affidavit on the release.