Bhubaneswar

The Odisha Police have invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against a suspected cattle smuggler currently lodged in judicial custody, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, Sakil Khan, a resident of the Tigiria police station area in Cuttack district, was arrested in February. Police said he is facing at least 10 cases, including allegations of illegal cattle transportation and assault on public servants.

Cuttack (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal stated that the move to detain Khan under the NSA was aimed at preventing his continued involvement in criminal and anti-social activities. “Given his repeated offences and the threat he poses to public order, we recommended action under the NSA, which has now been cleared by the state government,” he said.

According to police, Khan is a habitual offender linked to multiple cases involving assault, intimidation, rioting, and organised crime, particularly in connection with illegal cattle transport.

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Officials said his activities had significantly disrupted public peace in the region, and standard legal measures had failed to restrain him. Following this, a proposal for preventive detention under the NSA was sent to the Cuttack district administration and subsequently approved by the state government on Tuesday.