Saurabh Mukherjee
Raising concerns over the accuracy of material placed before it, the Supreme Court on Monday (February 16) underscored the need for precise translations while examining video transcripts submitted by the Union government in connection with the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The court observed that in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), accuracy in transcription and translation assumes critical importance. The matter will next be taken up on Thursday.
The matter was heard by a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, contended that several statements attributed to the Ladakhi activist had not been made by him. He urged the court to examine the authenticity of the transcripts relied upon by the government.
Addressing the Union’s counsel, the bench remarked, “Mr Solicitor, we want an actual transcript of the speech. What he relied upon and what you say are different. We will decide. There should be an actual transcript of what he says. You may have your reasons,” reported news agency PTI.
"At least, whatever he stated, the true translation should be there...Your translation goes on for 7 to 8 minutes, but the speech is for 3 minutes. We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence; precision is at least 98 per cent for translation," the bench observed.
The court subsequently directed the Union government to place on record the actual transcripts of Wangchuk’s speeches.
Sibal argued that the detention order was based on assertions that did not exist in Wangchuk’s speeches.
“Wangchuk continued his strike and also continued to provoke youth by taking reference of Nepal. Where is this line coming from? This is a very unique detention order – you rely on something that does not exist and then you say it is based on subjective satisfaction,” The Times of India quoted Sibal as saying.
Responding on behalf of the government, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj submitted that transcript preparation was handled by a separate department.
“We are not experts in it,” he said.
Meanwhile, support for Wangchuk has emerged from farmer groups. The Shetkari Sanghatana, a farmers’ body based in Maharashtra’s Miraj, passed a resolution demanding his release and termed his detention arbitrary and unlawful. The organisation also announced plans to put up hoardings in several villages seeking his release, The Hindu reported.
Kalidas Apet, working president of the Shetkari Sanghatana, said, “The government is ungrateful and wrong. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) had itself promised in its 2019 manifesto that it would provide separate Statehood to Ladakh as well. Sonam Wangchuk was only demanding something that was already promised. We appeal to the BJP that the government should release him immediately. We also appeal that all social organisations should come together to seek the release of Sonam Wangchuk.”
Highlighting Wangchuk’s contributions, Apet added, “He is a man who built solar powered tents for our jawans. He is himself the son of a soldier. He has taken such good care of our soldiers of the Indian Army. To call such a man a traitor is not just being ungrateful, but also agitating. His only demand is that the government should keep its promise.”
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025 under the National Security Act (NSA) following protests in Leh, Ladakh, over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards that later turned violent.
Four people were killed and several others injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. Internationally known for his work in education reform and climate advocacy, Wangchuk’s detention has drawn attention from human rights organisations globally.
At the previous hearing on February 11, the Union government informed the court that Wangchuk’s health was stable, responding to Angmo’s plea for his release. Government representatives maintained that his medical condition did not justify special consideration and argued that the grounds for his detention continued to remain valid.
The court observed that in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), accuracy in transcription and translation assumes critical importance. The matter will next be taken up on Thursday.
The matter was heard by a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, contended that several statements attributed to the Ladakhi activist had not been made by him. He urged the court to examine the authenticity of the transcripts relied upon by the government.
Addressing the Union’s counsel, the bench remarked, “Mr Solicitor, we want an actual transcript of the speech. What he relied upon and what you say are different. We will decide. There should be an actual transcript of what he says. You may have your reasons,” reported news agency PTI.
"At least, whatever he stated, the true translation should be there...Your translation goes on for 7 to 8 minutes, but the speech is for 3 minutes. We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence; precision is at least 98 per cent for translation," the bench observed.
The court subsequently directed the Union government to place on record the actual transcripts of Wangchuk’s speeches.
Sibal argued that the detention order was based on assertions that did not exist in Wangchuk’s speeches.
“Wangchuk continued his strike and also continued to provoke youth by taking reference of Nepal. Where is this line coming from? This is a very unique detention order – you rely on something that does not exist and then you say it is based on subjective satisfaction,” The Times of India quoted Sibal as saying.
Responding on behalf of the government, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj submitted that transcript preparation was handled by a separate department.
“We are not experts in it,” he said.
Meanwhile, support for Wangchuk has emerged from farmer groups. The Shetkari Sanghatana, a farmers’ body based in Maharashtra’s Miraj, passed a resolution demanding his release and termed his detention arbitrary and unlawful. The organisation also announced plans to put up hoardings in several villages seeking his release, The Hindu reported.
Kalidas Apet, working president of the Shetkari Sanghatana, said, “The government is ungrateful and wrong. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) had itself promised in its 2019 manifesto that it would provide separate Statehood to Ladakh as well. Sonam Wangchuk was only demanding something that was already promised. We appeal to the BJP that the government should release him immediately. We also appeal that all social organisations should come together to seek the release of Sonam Wangchuk.”
Highlighting Wangchuk’s contributions, Apet added, “He is a man who built solar powered tents for our jawans. He is himself the son of a soldier. He has taken such good care of our soldiers of the Indian Army. To call such a man a traitor is not just being ungrateful, but also agitating. His only demand is that the government should keep its promise.”
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025 under the National Security Act (NSA) following protests in Leh, Ladakh, over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards that later turned violent.
Four people were killed and several others injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. Internationally known for his work in education reform and climate advocacy, Wangchuk’s detention has drawn attention from human rights organisations globally.
At the previous hearing on February 11, the Union government informed the court that Wangchuk’s health was stable, responding to Angmo’s plea for his release. Government representatives maintained that his medical condition did not justify special consideration and argued that the grounds for his detention continued to remain valid.
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