Pranab Doley, a prominent activist in Assam, India, has been detained under the country's National Security Act after taking part in a June protest against a planned luxury hotel near Kaziranga National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site renowned for its rhinos, tigers and elephants. Although a court granted him bail on 29 July, the Assam government invoked the sweeping detention law to keep him and others in custody, prompting accusations from critics that authorities are using a draconian measure to silence opposition to the development.

The government's detention order cites 13 criminal cases against Doley since 2017, alleging unlawful assembly, intimidation and suspicious foreign financial transactions, though his lawyer says most of these cases have already been resolved. The dispute centres on a five-star hotel planned across 10 acres, which officials say will bring investment and jobs, while dozens of local families say they face displacement from land they have farmed for generations. District authorities insist the land is government-owned and that affected residents have received compensation and training, framing the case as part of a much longer-running debate over land rights and conservation around Kaziranga.