'Felt Like North Korea': Sonam Wangchuk Says He Was Treated Like 'Prisoner' In Safdarjung Hospital

Last Updated:July 25, 2026, 11:52 IST

Wangchuk said he was treated like a prisoner at the Safdarjung Hospital and no one was allowed to meet him without police permission.

Sonam Wangchuk, who began a 26-day hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protesting against the NEET-UG paper leak, said he was “treated like a prisoner" at the Safdarjung Hospital after he was taken away by police on July 18.

Wangchuk, 59, was forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar during his hunger strike by Delhi Police, citing medical advice and orders from the Delhi High Court. After ending his strike on Friday, Wangchuk posted a 24-minute video explaining his stand.

“It wasn’t just a hospital; it was a cantonment, it was a prison. I was kept in a way that perhaps even a prisoner wouldn’t be kept. I was not even allowed to step outside. No one could reach my room, not even a bird could fly near it," he said in the video.

“I was not permitted to meet anyone. Only security personnel were allowed. No relatives could visit me. I was not allowed to keep a mobile phone or a laptop, and I had no means of sending any messages. The only way I could communicate was by writing notes on pieces of paper, and even that was extremely difficult and happened only occasionally."

Wangchuk further said his relatives and friends travelling from London were prevented from meeting him in the hospital. “All of this was illegal. It felt like being in North Korea. The place where I was kept felt no different from a prison," he said.

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Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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