Sajjad Ali Nayani ✍🏼 Friday World 24/12/2025
Sonam Wangchuk -has been detained under the stringent
National Security Act (NSA) since September 2025 and remains in Jodhpur Central Jail, with his wife's Supreme Court petition for release still pending without a final decision as of late December 2025.
Kuldeep Sengar's Relief in the Unnao Rape Case
In the 2017 Unnao rape case, Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted by a trial court in December 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment. On December 23, 2025, a Delhi High Court bench suspended his sentence during the pendency of his appeal and granted him bail. The court imposed strict conditions: a personal bond of ₹15 lakh with three sureties of the same amount, a directive not to enter within a 5-km radius of the survivor's residence in Delhi, no threats or influence on the survivor or her family, and mandatory stay in Delhi. Violation of any condition would lead to bail cancellation.
The survivor and her family strongly opposed the decision, with the survivor's sister expressing deep fear and distress, stating that the family feels unsafe and questioning the grounds for release. She even remarked in anguish that if Sengar is innocent, the family should be jailed for their safety. Notably, Sengar remains in custody due to a separate 10-year sentence in the related custodial death case of the survivor's father, where his appeal for sentence suspension is also pending.
Sonam Wangchuk's Detention Under NSA
Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent climate activist leading peaceful demands for Ladakh's statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, was detained under the NSA on September 26, 2025, shortly after protests in Leh turned violent (leaving four dead and many injured). He was shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan. His wife, Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court challenging the detention as illegal, arbitrary, and violative of fundamental rights. The court has held multiple hearings (including on November 24 and December 8, 2025), allowing Wangchuk to join the plea and seeking responses from the Centre and Ladakh administration, but no final decision on his release has been made as of December 24, 2025.
Wangchuk continues to appeal for peace and dialogue from jail, maintaining that his movement was non-violent and aimed at constitutional safeguards.
Bihar CM's HijabControversy
Amid these developments, another incident in Bihar has raised concerns over women's dignity and religious freedom. In mid-December 2025, a video went viral showing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulling down the hijab of a Muslim woman doctor (an AYUSH appointee) during a government event for distributing appointment letters. The act sparked widespread outrage from opposition parties, Muslim groups, and civil society, with calls for his resignation and an unconditional apology. The doctor reportedly did not join duty on the last joining date, highlighting the emotional and professional impact. Defenders of the CM described it as a "fatherly" gesture, but critics labeled it a violation of personal dignity and religious rights.
Rising Questions -These contrasting cases raise serious concerns:
- How can a convict in a grave crime like rape receive bail and sentence suspension, while a peaceful activist demanding constitutional rights remains under harsh preventive detention for months?
- Is this true freedom, or does it reflect protection for the powerful and suppression of dissent?
The safety of victims, women's dignity, and the right to peaceful expression are all at stake. Society is witnessing deep dissatisfaction over this apparent double standard. Justice must be equal for all – not a shield for the influential and a prison for the voiceless.
Sajjad Ali Nayani ✍🏼
Friday World 24/12/2025
