The Calcutta High Court is scheduled to hear a petition on Tuesday from Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the upcoming Nandigram assembly by-election, seeking protection against coercive police action in five criminal cases pending against him.
Pradhan, who is currently held in judicial custody under five separate criminal matters, has not approached the High Court for relief regarding those existing detentions.
Plea Before High Court
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya granted leave to Pradhan’s counsel to formally submit the application for protection in connection with the five additional cases.
Appearing for the candidate, advocate Ayan Bhattacharjee informed the bench that his client had previously disclosed these five matters in his statutory affidavit submitted to the Election Commission. The counsel submitted that Pradhan was seeking interim protection specifically concerning these five cases, while clarifying that no relief was being sought at this stage in the other five cases where he is already detained.
Campaign Halted By Judicial Remand
The ongoing legal proceedings have effectively dismantled Pradhan’s ability to campaign in person. A magistrate’s court in Haldia, located in Purba Medinipur district, ordered Pradhan remanded to judicial custody until October 3 following his arrest late last week.
With official campaigning scheduled to conclude on October 4 ahead of polling on October 6, the custody duration leaves the Congress nominee unable to canvass for votes in the constituency.
Nineteen-Year-Old Cases Behind Arrest
According to the West Bengal Police, Pradhan was initially taken into custody on September 18 on the strength of four outstanding arrest warrants. Following that detention, law enforcement formally recorded his arrest in four additional pending cases.
Police stated that the warrants relate to non-bailable charges dating back 19 years to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation in Nandigram. The allegations include murder, attempted murder, kidnapping with intent to murder, destruction of evidence, criminal house trespass, and armed rioting.
Background Of The Bypoll
The Nandigram assembly seat fell vacant following the resignation of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in May. Adhikari had won the constituency after defeating Mamata Banerjee in the state assembly elections held earlier this year, but subsequently chose to retain the Bhabanipur seat.
