Guwahati: Police on Sunday arrested activist Pranab Doley, who has been leading opposition to the proposed construction of luxury hotels near Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, and took him to Dispur Police Station.
Doley, convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), has been spearheading protests against the alleged transfer of land to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) for a proposed five-star hotel project near the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The arrest comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the project. In June, the Gauhati High Court issued notices to the ATDC while hearing a petition filed by 20 Adivasi farming families challenging the proposed hotel project.
The petitioners have alleged that land cultivated by them for generations has been earmarked for the project without due process. They claim to possess land records and revenue receipts dating back decades and have accused the authorities of fencing the land and initiating possession without their consent.
They have also alleged that mandatory environmental and social impact assessments were not conducted.
Doley and the GKLHRPC have maintained that the proposed project threatens both the livelihoods of indigenous communities and the fragile ecology of Kaziranga.
The group has argued that the land serves as a grazing area and flood refuge for wildlife and has demanded that all construction activities be halted until the land dispute is resolved.
Police had earlier surrounded Doley’s residence in Guwahati’s Sundarpur locality before taking him into custody.
The reason for his arrest was not immediately known, and an official statement from Assam Police was awaited at the time of filing this report.