How Did Delhi Police Remove Sonam Wangchuk From Jantar Mantar?
Delhi Police assembled New Delhi district personnel at 3 am under the guise of a security drill, then executed a secret '30-second' plan to remove Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar around 6:30 am, using a phone jammer and white curtain while Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke was away.
New Delhi, July 18: Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 20 days at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak, was removed from the site on medical grounds in a meticulously planned pre-dawn operation, with Delhi Police assembling personnel nearly four hours before the actual removal under the guise of a security drill.
The Operation Began At 3 AM
At 3 am on Saturday, almost four hours before Wangchuk was removed, all personnel of the New Delhi district police assembled at Jantar Mantar for what they were told was a security drill in Parliament ahead of the Monsoon Session, sources said. They were then taken to the Mandir Marg police station, where they were informed that Wangchuk would be removed from the site within "30 seconds."
Minutes before the removal, police installed a phone jammer in the area. Around 6:30 am, they quickly placed a white curtain across the stage and removed Wangchuk before anyone could see what was happening behind it, sources added. Where Did Delhi Police Take Sonam Wangchuk?
The '30-Second' Plan Explained
On Friday around 11 pm, a message was sent to all station house officers (SHOs) of the New Delhi district informing them of a security drill scheduled for Saturday morning. The SHOs were asked to reach the Parliament Street police station by 3 am along with 10 police personnel each.
"All of them reached and they were taken to Mandir Marg police station where they were briefed by the DCP (New Delhi district) Sachin Sharma about their exact plan. They were informed that they were there to execute a plan to remove Wangchuk from the protest site. They were informed they would have to wait for Dipke's movement and remove Wangchuk within 30 seconds. They parked one ambulance near Kerala House in Jantar Mantar," a source said.
Police reportedly studied the daily routine of Cockroach Janta Party members and identified a short window each morning when founder Abhijeet Dipke stepped away to a nearby restroom. "They learnt of a small window of some minutes in the morning when Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke went out to a nearby restroom. They decided to pick Wangchuk exactly at that time," a source said. Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife Gitanjali Angmo Says No Treatment To Be Given to Him Without Family Consent.
Around 6:30 am, when Dipke stepped out, police reached the stage, placed the curtain and removed Wangchuk. "Within two minutes, he was picked up by four to five policemen and was taken in an ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital. The police then started removing all the protesters. At the same time, a police team stopped Dipke," the source added.
Why This Plan Stayed Secret
Unlike the previous attempt to clear the protest, when all police personnel were briefed at Delhi Police headquarters and details were leaked, this time only senior officers were aware of the exact plan, sources said.
Police Statement On The Removal
According to officials, the 59-year-old Wangchuk was taken to the hospital "peacefully," despite a brief obstruction amid protests and sloganeering by Cockroach Janta Party activists leading the demonstration.
Delhi Police said in a statement on X, "Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of Hon'ble High Court the protesters tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued. Police, however, exercised maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely."
Police also appealed to protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar peacefully "at the earliest."
Wangchuk's Health And Vow To Continue
Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since June 28 as part of the Cockroach Janta Party protest, demanding broader reforms to the examination system and Pradhan's resignation over repeated paper leaks. The police action came a day after doctors described his condition as an emergency, with fears his organs could fail. A medical update two days earlier said he had lost over 8 kilos.
Despite his deteriorating health, Wangchuk had vowed to stay alive until July 20, the first day of the Monsoon Session, when protesters plan a march to Parliament. "I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. I am sure all of you are strong from the inside, and outside too. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy. I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don't come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost," he had told supporters.
Commissioner Change Preceded The Action
Wangchuk's removal came a day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs abruptly removed Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha and appointed Anurag Kumar in his place. Golchha's early departure was allegedly linked to his handling of the Cockroach Janta Party protest. After taking charge, Kumar reportedly met with special commissioner-rank officers and began preparing the strategy that led to Saturday's operation.
Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT), have extended support to Wangchuk, demanding that the Centre engage with him and remove Pradhan.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2026 11:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
