The Cuttack district administration on Saturday invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA), 1980, against two brothers with a criminal background, who are currently in judicial custody, official sources said.
Details of the NSA Invocation
Collector of Cuttack, Dattatreya Shinde, stated that the Act was invoked considering the brothers' antecedents and alleged involvement in multiple heinous crimes in the Cuttack rural belt, particularly in the Salepur area, over the past decade. The move aims to prevent them from engaging in further criminal activities, he added.
The accused were identified as Jyoti Prakash Praharaj alias Jepi and Jyoti Samrat Praharaj alias Bapi, residents of Jhadeswarpur village.
Proposal and Order
According to the order, the Superintendent of Police, Cuttack (rural), submitted a proposal to detain the duo under Section 3(2) of the NSA for allegedly acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
“Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the NSA, 1980, I hereby direct that Jepi alias Jyoti Prakash Praharaj and Bapi alias Jyoti Samrat Praharaj, who are currently lodged in Circle Jail, Choudwar, in connection with a Bhadreswar police station case dated May 30, 2025, be detained until further orders,” the order stated.
Review and Duration
Officials said that once the NSA is invoked, the detention must be reviewed by an advisory board of the Orissa High Court. Based on the board’s decision, the detention can extend up to three years.
The duo is allegedly involved in several criminal activities, including extortion and influencing illegal quarrying of minerals, the collector said.
