Social activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi early on Saturday in what police sources described as a carefully planned operation. The operation was carried out by the Delhi Police after a detailed strategy was finalised by senior officials.
As reported by India Today, police sources said the plan was prepared during a high-level meeting held shortly after newly appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar assumed office. Senior officers reportedly decided to conduct the operation in the morning when the number of protesters at the site was expected to be the lowest.
Police sources also told India Today that the timing coincided with the brief absence of Wangchuk’s close associate, Abhijeet Dipke, from the protest venue.
Three-Layer Security Operation
According to the report, around 30 to 35 personnel, including members of the New Delhi district’s Special Staff and local police, entered the barricaded protest area in plain clothes.
Police sources said officers first surrounded Wangchuk’s bed with large white sheets before removing him from the stage and escorting him out of the protest site.
The operation was reportedly executed in three phases.
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In the first phase, plainclothes personnel secured the stage and removed Wangchuk. The second phase involved personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), who formed a security cordon outside the barricades to prevent any confrontation with protesters.
In the final phase, senior Delhi Police officers monitored the operation from a control point near ambulances and police vehicles stationed outside the venue, India Today reported, citing police sources.
According to the report, traffic personnel cleared the route immediately after Wangchuk was placed inside an ambulance, allowing it to reach Safdarjung Hospital without obstruction.
Police sources also said that only senior officers were informed about the complete operational plan in advance, while officers below the rank of inspector were instructed only to report to the site without being briefed on the full details beforehand.
Associate Announces Hunger Strike
Soon after the operation concluded, Abhijeet Dipke returned to the protest site and alleged that Wangchuk had been removed during his absence. He also announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike.
Delhi Police maintained that the operation was carried out peacefully while exercising “maximum restraint” and appealed to the remaining protesters to vacate the Jantar Mantar site peacefully.
Medical Examination Before Hospital Transfer
According to police sources quoted by India Today, a medical team from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital examined Wangchuk on Saturday morning before he was shifted. Doctors reportedly advised immediate hospitalisation after concluding that his health condition had deteriorated.
Police sources further said that two doctors and two paramedical staff members have been assigned to monitor Wangchuk’s treatment at Safdarjung Hospital.
Shifted on Medical Advice
Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted from Jantar Mantar, where he had been on an indefinite fast since June 28, to Safdarjung Hospital to ensure essential medical care based on expert medical advice and in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court.
His removal came two days after the Centre informed the High Court that any medical intervention required for Wangchuk would be provided based on the recommendations of doctors monitoring his health.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, questioned the medical tests being conducted at Safdarjung Hospital. She alleged that the family had not been provided with the test reports and expressed concerns over the reported drop in his potassium level from 4.3 to 2.9 within a day.
She said the family intended to have the tests conducted at an independent laboratory.
Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike was part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar, which is seeking a judicial probe into alleged examination scams, accountability for irregularities, and broader reforms in the examination system.
He was removed from the protest site a day before the party’s proposed march to Parliament, for which he had appealed to supporters to participate in large numbers.
