Vijay Patel, a Right-wing influencer who calls himself an ‘investigative reporter’ and frequently shares baseless conspiracy theories, has claimed that the father of Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk, Sonam Wangyal, worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US government and was part of a team that had lost a nuclear generator on the Nanda Devi mountain.
In late September 2025, violent protests centering around statehood demand in Leh resulted in the deaths of four people. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was subsequently arrested on September 26, 2025, for allegedly inciting the violence and engaging in “anti-national” activities. Since then, Right-wing social media accounts and a section of the media have used disinformation to create a narrative against Wangchuk. Alt News has debunked several such false claims.
Vijay Patel’s claim about Wangchuk’s father being associated with the CIA comes against the backdrop of such propaganda building.
Fact Check
We researched Vijay Patel’s claims about Sonam Wangyal and found that the two Sonam Wangyals are different individuals. Sonam Wangchuk‘s father never worked with the CIA. Furthermore, the Sonam Wangyal mentioned in this information is a mountaineer and has been awarded the National Adventure Award by the Indian government. He also worked in joint operations between India’s Intelligence Bureau and the CIA.
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