Delhi Police forcible transfer of activist Sonam Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital on day 21 of hunger strike

Delhi Police transferred climate‑activist Sonam Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday, the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike, claiming his health had deteriorated beyond safe limits. The move was carried out under a Delhi High Court order and on medical advice that the protester required urgent treatment for dehydration, weight loss and a declining blood‑pressure profile.

Legal and procedural context

The Delhi High Court had ordered the police to monitor Wangchuk’s condition and to act when his health risked severe consequences. In line with the court’s directive, police evicted him from the protest site and dispatched him to a government facility for essential, continuous care. Officers claimed the intervention was not punitive but medical.

Medical findings and conditions

Doctors at the hospital reported that Wangchuk had lost roughly 20 % of his body weight after beginning his fast, weighing in at 51 kg. A 9.5‑kg weight loss over three weeks, coupled with a low blood‑pressure reading, prompted the relocation. The treating team noted ongoing monitoring was required to prevent hypovolemic shock and other complications.

Protest movements and tensions

Wangchuk’s hunger strike began on 28 June as a rally in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s demands regarding irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and student deaths linked to the controversy. Several AISA activists continued separate fasts on the same day. Following the police’s removal, clashes erupted when some protesters attempted to block officers from carrying out the transfer, prompting a brief commotion but no injuries reported.

Disputed duration of strike

While three of the sources record the transfer as occurring on the 21st day of Wangchuk’s hunger strike, one account noted the activist had fasted for 20 days before being taken to the hospital. The discrepancy underscores uncertainty in counting the precise number of days due to overlapping protest schedules and differing eyewitness reports.