‘We are in the AI era’: Supreme Court blasts Centre over ‘malicious’ Sonam Wangchuk transcript

The top court criticised the government after noting that the transcript of Wangchuk’s three-minute speech had been expanded into a document running seven to eight minutes.

The remarks came during the hearing of a habeas corpus plea filed by his wife, Gitanjali Angmo.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Angmo, argued that several controversial phrases cited in the transcript — including “self-immolation of Ladakhis” and “overthrow the government” — were never spoken by Wangchuk.

Responding to the submissions, a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale questioned the authenticity of the transcription and asked the government to produce the original version of the speech.

Addressing Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, the bench said, as quoted by NDTV: “Mr Nataraj, we need the actual transcripts of these speeches. This is the basis on which the detention order is passed.”

The court further observed discrepancies between the transcript and the detention order, stating: “The tabular list you have filed, some of these things don’t even find a place in the detention order. There should be at least the correct transcript of what he says. There should not be a variance. If the speech is of three minutes and your transcription goes on for seven to eight minutes, there is certainly malice in that.”

When the ASG argued that the transcript had been prepared by the concerned department and that officials were “not experts,” the court responded sharply: “We are in the era of AI. Precision should be 98 per cent.”

Wangchuk was arrested for allegedly provoking a mob during protests demanding statehood for Ladakh. The agitation turned violent, resulting in the deaths of four protesters.

The protests were triggered in part by a hunger strike led by Wangchuk starting around September 10, 2025.

Additionally, two elderly protesters — 72-year-old Tsering Angchuk and 60-year-old Tashi Dolma — who had participated in an extended hunger strike, fell seriously ill and required hospitalisation.