Wangchuk Hunger Strike: Court Petition, Police Standoff Before March

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk entered his 22nd day in hospital Sunday after a 21-day hunger strike. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, filed an urgent petition in the Delhi High Court seeking permission to move him to a private facility. She accused the hospital of lacking transparency and described the police presence on the ward as “illegal detention.”

Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital issued a bulletin saying Wangchuk’s vital signs are stable. His blood parameters remain “marginally altered,” the statement said. The hospital noted the physiological stress of prolonged fasting and said a multidisciplinary team from Safdarjung and AIIMS is monitoring him around the clock.

Angmo disputed the hospital’s account of low potassium. The hospital told her Wangchuk’s potassium had dropped to 2.9 millimoles per litre, a level it described as alarming. An independent lab test returned 3.5, within the normal range, she said. The hospital’s public bulletin omitted the specific number, referring only to “decreasing potassium levels.”

Police officers are stationed on the hospital floor and across the building. Angmo said about 30 officers are on the ward and more than 100 in the hospital. “It is not medical care. It is illegal detention,” she said. The hospital said Wangchuk continues to refuse IV fluids and oral rehydration despite counseling.