PIL Filed in Delhi High Court to Force-Feed Fasting Activist Sonam Wangchuk

On July 15, 2026, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking urgent medical aid and the force-feeding of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who entered the 18th day of an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The petition, which highlights Wangchuk's deteriorating health, was scheduled for a hearing but faced delays due to a local lawyers' strike.

The division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia postponed the hearing to Thursday, noting the urgency of the matter. The delay occurred after the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) called for a strike, protesting an administrative decision to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts in Delhi. Consequently, no lawyers representing the Delhi or Central governments appeared in court.

Advocate R K Saini, the petitioner behind the PIL, argued that the government is treating Wangchuk like a 'terrorist' or 'hardcore criminal' and appears 'apathetic' to his life-threatening condition. Saini urged the court to direct authorities to provide immediate medical attention, including taking Wangchuk to a government hospital to force-feed him essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals via a liquid diet.

According to the petition, there are past precedents where authorities have stepped in to force-feed fasting protestors to save their lives. Wangchuk began his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28 as part of a protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The protest demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the NEET-UG exam paper leak.

Wangchuk previously stated that the Prime Minister must remain sensitive to student concerns and called for the paper leak issue to be debated in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, asserting that a resignation is merely a starting point.