NSA invoked against 2 brothers in Cuttack dist

Bhubaneswar: Cuttack administration on Saturday invoked the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, against two brothers with a criminal past. They are currently in judicial custody, official sources said.

Collector (Cuttack) Dattatreya Shinde said the Act was invoked considering their antecedents and alleged involvement in multiple heinous crimes in the Cuttack rural belt, particularly in Salepur area, over the past decade. The move aims to prevent them from indulging in further criminal activities, he added. The accused were identified as Jyoti Prakash Praharaj alias Jepi and Jyoti Samrat Praharaj alias Bapi of Jhadeswarpur village.

According to the order, the superintendent of police, Cuttack (rural), had 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.

Officials said 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.