Pranab Doley was arrested in connection with a Bokakhat case linked to recent protests against a proposed luxury hotel near Kaziranga National Park.
July 12, 2026: Assam Police on Sunday arrested land rights activist Pranab Doley in connection with a case registered at Bokakhat Police Station on June 29. According to police, Doley has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal trespass, criminal intimidation, and assaulting a public servant while on duty. The 40-year-old activist was detained by a Dispur Police team from the Sundarpur area in Guwahati.
Doley is the convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC) and has been leading protests against the proposed construction of a luxury hotel near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Local residents of Hatikhuli have opposed the project, citing concerns over displacement, environmental damage, and disruption to wildlife movement in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros.
Following his arrest, Doley questioned the action, alleging that police did not produce an arrest warrant and accused the authorities of suppressing public voices. “What kind of democracy is this if we are not allowed to raise the people’s concerns?” he said. The Assam government had announced plans in 2023 to establish a luxury hotel near Kaziranga, a proposal that has since faced sustained opposition from local communities and environmental activists.