01/08/2026
Assam Government Slaps NSA on Kaziranga Activist Pranab Doley to Block Court-Ordered Bail
NAH NEWS NETWORK: GUWAHATI / GOLAGHAT — The political and legal landscape of Assam is reeling after the state’s Political (A) Department invoked Section 3(2) of the National Security Act (NSA) against indigenous land rights defender Pranab Doley. The preventive detention order was served inside the Golaghat District Jail on July 30, 2026, completely overriding a comprehensive bail order issued by a local sessions court just twenty-four hours prior.
The Background: Safeguarding Inglay PatharPranab Doley, the convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), has spent the last four years organizing local tribal communities. Their primary objective has been opposing a proposed multi-star luxury hotel project (Hyatt) at Inglay Pathar, located directly within the eco-sensitive buffer perimeter of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
Local communities claim the commercial development violates the fragile ecology of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and threatens to displace several indigenous families.Doley was initially arrested by state police on July 12–13, 2026, following a massive public demonstration held on June 28. Authorities booked him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), leveling charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy, and unlawful assembly.
Court Slams State's NarrativeThe state's narrative faced a sharp legal setback on July 29, 2026, when Additional Sessions Judge N.M. Abdullah Ahmed granted Doley bail. In a critical observation, the court emphasized that criminal law cannot be weaponised to silence local anxieties when livelihood, tribal survival, and ecological preservation are on the line. The judge further noted that the prosecution failed to provide a single piece of evidence showing that the protesters carried lethal weapons or instigated violent acts.Undeterred by the judicial rebuke, the state government immediately used the NSA to lock Doley back down.
The official detention order claims Doley's release poses a "real and imminent danger," asserting that his movement remains "prejudicial to the maintenance of public order as well as the security of the state."Escalating Backlash Across the StateThe heavy-handed deployment of the NSA has drawn a fierce response from both local political circles and international organizations:Assembly Protest: Regional opposition leaders, including Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, launched massive protests at the Assam Legislative Assembly, accusing the administration of executing "corporate-backed intimidation" against indigenous citizens.
Human Rights Call: Global groups like the Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and UN human rights experts have flagged the arrest, issuing urgent calls for his unconditional release and criticizing the state for treating environmental defense as a national security threat. Doley remains imprisoned at the Golaghat District Jail as his legal team prepares a formal challenge against the preventive detention order before the NSA Advisory Board.
