The Assam Police on Sunday arrested land rights activist Pranab Dole in connection with a case registered against him in Bokakhat.
A Guwahati police officer, requesting anonymity, said Doli was arrested in connection with a case registered against him at Bokakhat police station on June 29 under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, causing hurt to a public servant to prevent them from discharging their duty, unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal trespass and criminal intimidation.
Doli, who contested the 2021 Assembly elections independently, was arrested by a team from Guwahati’s Dispur police station from Sunderpur district.
The 40-year-old convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC) has vocally opposed the proposed luxury hotels near the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), the largest habitat for the endangered rhinoceros and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Doli and locals in Hattikholi near KNPTR have opposed the construction of a five-star hotel in the area over concerns about displacement, impact on the environment and movement of wild animals, and have staged protests in recent days against it.
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“What kind of democracy is this if we are not allowed to raise people’s voices? The police who came to arrest me did not produce any arrest warrant,” Dooley said.
The Assam government announced in 2023 that a luxury hotel will be built in Kaziranga.
