GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Friday, November 6, quashed the preventive detention of indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, and ordered his immediate release.
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“The petitioner (Pranab Doley) shall be released and set at liberty forthwith from his preventive detention,” the court ordered.
Following the court's order, Pranab Doley walked out of Golaghat District Jail on Friday evening. He had spent 117 days in custody.
A division bench comprising Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Susmita Phukan Khaund set aside the detention order issued by the Assam government on July 30, 2026, holding it unsustainable in law.
“The impugned detention order bearing no. eCF-821601/81 dated 30.07.2026, issued by the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Home and Political Department, Political (A) Department, is hereby set aside and quashed,” the order stated.
The court cited four major grounds, including reliance on stale criminal cases, non-supply of relevant documents, failure to consider Doley’s second representation dated August 10, and reliance on foreign travel and remittances without establishing their connection to activities prejudicial to state security.
The court also observed that the detaining authority failed to properly assess whether ordinary criminal law was insufficient to deal with the alleged activities.
“The detaining authority has not applied its mind as to whether or not the ordinary laws of the Country was insufficient to deal with the activities of the petitioner,” the court observed.
Pranab Doley was arrested on July 12 in connection with his participation in a protest against a proposed Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) Hyatt hotel project at Ingle Pathar village, near Kaziranga National Park.
The Golaghat Sessions Court subsequently granted him bail on July 29. However, a day later, the Assam government invoked the NSA against him, preventing his release from custody.
Following his release, Doley, in his first reaction, thanked the people of Assam for standing in support of democracy and supporting him.
He said, “falsehood can never win, this is proved. NSA is not a joke. Such a strict act shouldn’t be forcefully invoked on any Assamese people. We should all keep fighting against such atrocities. Truth always prevails.”
Reacting to the court's order, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi criticised the BJP, alleging that it had used the NSA to intimidate tribals, Adivasis and poor labourers.
“Shame on the BJP for using the National Security Act to intimidate tribals, adivasis and poor labourers in handing over their land to real estate contractors,” Gogoi said in a post on X.
