Gauhati High Court overturns activist Pranab Doley's NSA detention

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Friday quashed the detention of indigenous and land-rights activist Pranab Doley under the National Security Act, clearing the way for his release after 117 days in custody, according to Northeast Now.

Court order overturns detention

A division bench of the High Court issued the order after hearing Doley’s challenge to his preventive detention. Advocate Dipesh Agarwala, one of Doley’s lawyers, said the bench passed the order, though a copy of the judgment was not immediately available. The ruling nullified the earlier NSA order that had kept Doley in custody.

Background of arrest

Doley, who serves as convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee, was arrested on July 12, days after taking part in a protest against a proposed luxury Hyatt hotel project at Ingle Pathar, a village bordering Kaziranga National Park. Police alleged that during the protest he unlawfully entered the site of the Tea Tribes Museum and the nearby Assam Tourism Development Corporation Hyatt project, carrying deadly weapons. A sessions court in Golaghat granted him bail on July 29, noting that the investigating officer had already recorded statements of key witnesses and that there was no risk of evidence tampering. However, the Assam government invoked the National Security Act on July 30, a day after the bail order, thereby preventing his release.

Legal context and next steps

The National Security Act permits preventive detention without trial for up to 12 months, subject to statutory safeguards. The government’s NSA invocation was based on allegations that Doley was involved in suspicious foreign transactions from doubtful sources, allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. With the High Court’s order, the NSA detention is nullified, and Doley is expected to be released pending any further legal proceedings.

Protest and community concerns

The arrest followed prolonged protests by indigenous communities against the proposed five-star Hyatt hotel near Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Communities have opposed the project for four years, citing potential impacts on land rights and livelihoods. The court’s decision removes the immediate legal barrier to Doley’s freedom, while the broader dispute over the hotel project and associated land-rights issues remains unresolved.