Calcutta HC asks WB Govt counsel to let Congress’ Nandigram bypoll candidate contest properly if he gets bail

Mr. Pradhan was sent to judicial custody on Saturday (September 19, 2026) by the Haldia Sub-Divisional Court until October 3, 2026, in four pending non-bailable arrest warrants linked to cases in Nandigram dating back to 2007. File | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) asked the West Bengal government’s counsel that Milan Pradhan, the Congress’s Nandigram bypoll candidate, be allowed to contest properly, provided he gets bail in five criminal cases in which he has been arrested.Mr. Pradhan was sent to judicial custody on Saturday (September 19, 2026) by the Haldia Sub-Divisional Court until October 3, in four pending non-bailable arrest warrants linked to cases in Nandigram dating back to 2007. On Monday (September 21, 2026), the Contai court sent him to 14-day judicial custody, until October 5, in a case under the Arms Act registered nearly two decades ago.The byelection in Nandigram is scheduled for October 6. The campaign ends on October 4, and the counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.Mr. Pradhan’s counsel, Ayan Bhattacharjee, had said he would challenge the Contai court’s order before the Calcutta High Court.While hearing an application filed by Mr. Pradhan on Monday (September 21, 2026) seeking protection from coercive action in six cases registered against him, the Court was informed by the State that five of them had been withdrawn by the previous government and that he was not wanted in the other.Mr. Pradhan’s lawyer said he was arrested on September 18 in connection with cases lodged during the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram in 2007, only after he received support for the bypoll from the Trinamool Congress faction led by Mamata Banerjee.Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya verbally told Rajdeep Majumdar, the Additional Advocate General representing the State, that Mr. Pradhan should be allowed to contest the election properly, provided he got bail.Mr. Majumdar clarified before the Court that there were 11 criminal cases against Mr. Pradhan. He submitted that Mr. Pradhan was not wanted in the six cases mentioned by his lawyer, for which he had sought protection from coercive police action.Of these six cases, five had been withdrawn by the previous government, and in another case registered at the Nandigram police station, Mr. Pradhan was not an accused, Mr. Majumdar said.Justice Bhattacharyya held that in these circumstances, no order needed to be passed in the six criminal prosecutions for which protection was sought, and directed that the matter be listed for further consideration on October 12.Presenting his argument, Mr. Pradhan’s lawyer said he was not seeking relief in connection with the five cases in which Mr. Pradhan had already been arrested.Mr. Majumdar, on the other hand, said Mr. Pradhan was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by a lower court in connection with a 2007 criminal case, and that the warrants had been pending since 2021. He also said that whenever an election was conducted in an area, it was the duty of the police authority concerned, in accordance with an Election Commission guideline, to execute all arrest warrants before the polls.Mr. Majumdar said that apart from Mr. Pradhan, other accused against whom warrants were pending in the case had also been arrested.Mr. Pradhan’s lawyer also sought a disclosure by the police on whether any other criminal case was registered against him apart from the 11 cases.The orders of the two lower courts effectively ended Mr. Pradhan’s opportunity to canvass for himself, unless he can secure bail.Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won the Nandigram seat in the 2026 Assembly election. The seat has had a special place in the politics of West Bengal since the anti-land acquisition movement led by Ms. Banerjee, and aided by Mr. Adhikari, in 2007, which had a major role in the fall of the Left Front government in 2011. Mr. Adhikari vacated Nandigram after also winning from Bhabanipur in Kolkata, after which the Election Commission announced a byelection to the seat. Published - September 22, 2026 05:53 pm IST