SC: Want Actual Transcripts Of Sonam Wangchuk’s Speech

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday queried the Centre in connection with the transcripts of videos submitted by it against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and emphasised that in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the translations should be precise.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale. The bench also directed the Jodhpur jail superintendent to produce in a sealed cover the pen drive given by the Union authorities to Wangchuk, while he was in detention on September 29, 2025.

During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that some of the words attributed to the activist were never said by him. The bench told additional solicitor general KM Nataraj that it wanted actual transcripts of Wangchuk's statements from the government.

Sibal added that even if it is assumed that it was shown to him as was contended by the Nataraj, it has to be supplied as well.

Sibal argued that apart from detaining authority relying on irrelevant material, it also relied on non-existent materials as the detaining authority was supplied with a wrong transcription of speeches. Sibal said the respondent did not respond to these submissions that they argued.

Questioning the translation, Sibal said, "Wangchuk continued his strike… and also continued to provoke youth by taking reference of Nepal… Where is this line coming from?

The bench said, "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."

The bench stressed that 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.

Nataraj told the court that there is a department for transcripts and said, "We are not experts in it."

Sibal said that 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."

Sibal also clarified that Wangchuk was supplied the grounds of detention on September 29th, which contained the materials on which the detaining authority had relied. He added however, those four videos were not there in the pen drive. Consequently, Wangchuk had made several representations to the authorities asking for those videos.

After hearing submissions, the bench said: "Heard Kapil Sibal, learned counsel. For further arguments, listed on Thursday. The learned senior counsel would submit that the pen drive furnished to detenue on 29th September, 2025, is in his custody. As such, we direct the same pen drive in his custody shall be obtained in a sealed box by the jail authorities, which shall be sealed in his presence and be forwarded to this court in a sealed box by the superintendent of jail, and Additional Advocate General, appearing for Rajasthan, shall ensure compliance with the same."

The bench will continue to hear the arguments on Thursday. The bench was hearing a plea filed by Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, seeking to declare Wangchuk's detention under the National Security Act, illegal. The Centre had earlier told the apex court that Wangchuk had been examined medically 24 times since his detention and that he was "fit, hale and hearty."

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