The Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to urgently hear an appeal filed by Dr. Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, challenging the Single Judge’s refusal to permit his transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private hospital of his choice. The appeal comes a day after Justice Mini Pushkarna declined to grant interim relief, holding that the authorities’ decision to shift Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital in view of his deteriorating health was not arbitrary.
Mentioning the matter before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal submitted that the Division Bench’s order dated July 16 in the pending public interest litigation had been misinterpreted.
Sibal argued that Wangchuk was forcibly picked up from the protest site on Saturday without prior intimation and taken to a government hospital. Clarifying the relief sought, he submitted that the petitioners were only requesting that Wangchuk be allowed to receive treatment at a hospital of his own choice, contending that his autonomy can’t be taken away and that this was never the intent of the July 16 order.
Emphasising that Wangchuk was neither a detainee nor accused of any offence, Sibal urged the Court to hear the matter on an urgent basis, arguing that he was entitled to choose where he received medical treatment. The Bench agreed to list the appeal later in the day. On Sibal’s request, the matter was directed to be taken up around 3:00 PM.