The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the forcible shifting of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on the 21st day of his hunger strike.

A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the issue of Mr. Wangchuk’s hospitalisation at Safdarjung Hospital was earlier raised by his wife before the high court and the matter was “disposed of to their satisfaction”.

“Since an FIR is sought to be lodged in relation to a reportedly solitary incident, it is always open for the petitioner to take recourse to 173 of BNSS,” the court said.

On July 18, the Delhi Police whisked Mr. Wangchuk away from the protest site at Jantar Mantar and forcibly shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital.

The petitioner sought a direction for registration of an FIR against all police personnel and other officials who have “committed cognizable offences while dispersing the peaceful protest held on July 18, 2026 at Jantar Mantar” as well as constitution of an SIT to ensure a fair, impartial and transparent investigation.

It also sought a direction for preservation of complete medical reports, opinions of the treating doctors and the decision-making process in relation to Mr. Wangchuk’s shifting from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital.

On Tuesday, the court ordered immediate shifting of Mr. Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital here to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, on a plea filed by his wife Gitanjali Angmo.

Environmentalist and educator Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike on Sunday (June 28, 2026) afternoon at the Jantar Mantar here, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for multiple irregularities in the examination system. 

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Prior to the hunger strike, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had said on social media platform X that he had visited Rajghat with Mr. Wangchuk to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Soon after that, Mr. Wangchuk began his hunger strike, seeking justice for students and calling for the Minister’s resignation. 

The Delhi Police had cut off the water and sanitation facilities at Jantar Mantar after Mr. Wangchuk announced his strike, Mr. Dipke alleged. The police termed the allegation “falsehoods and misinformation”. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi said online that the Delhi Police, being a law enforcement agency, had no role to play in providing or maintaining these facilities. 

Many others, including farm leaders, joined the protest on Sunday. At least six student activists have joined Mr. Wangchuk in the hunger strike, demanding Mr. Pradhan’s resignation. 

“I am not alone. I have been told that some youth are also going on hunger strike. Wherever you are, I salute you,” Mr. Wangchuk said from the dais. 

The All India Students’ Association (AISA), which previously expressed solidarity with the CJP’s protest, on Sunday said six students associated with the AISA have decided to go on the hunger strike, too. 

The students include Danish Ali, currently the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union joint secretary; Hrishikesh, president, Barak Hostel, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Aameen, former Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi student council member; Neha, AISA all-India president; Manish, AISA U.P. president; and Deepak, the AISA Delhi University unit’s vice president. 

“Students have called for the strike in complete solidarity with the call by Sonam Wangchuk, and will fight shoulder to shoulder in the struggle for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, repeal of NEP (National Education Policy) 2020, and scrapping of the National Testing Agency,” the AISA said in a statement.