The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday declined to issue any immediate direction on a plea seeking protection for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan from arrest or other coercive action in five cases ahead of the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.
The state government told the court that no further action would be taken against Pradhan in the five cases for the time being, and pointed out that he was not the principal accused in those matters. The court, accordingly, said that no immediate order was required. The matter has been posted for further hearing on October 12.
Pradhan is already in judicial custody in other cases linked to incidents dating back to the 2007 Nandigram land-acquisition movement. His lawyers had approached the High Court apprehending further arrests, particularly with the bypoll campaign scheduled to conclude on October 4.
Congress Raises Timing of Arrest
Pradhan's counsel, Ayan Bhattacharya, argued that the Congress candidate had been arrested on September 18 on the basis of an old warrant and questioned the timing of its execution so close to the bypoll.
The defence maintained that the action could affect the electoral process and Pradhan's ability to campaign. The plea was filed after the candidate was taken into custody in connection with cases dating back to the Nandigram agitation. Earlier reports said police had acted on pending non-bailable warrants.
The state, however, maintained that the warrants were from 2007 and that their execution was not linked to the election. It also told the court that Pradhan was not the main accused in the five cases for which protection had been sought.
Candidate Remains in Judicial Custody
The immediate legal relief sought by Pradhan relates to the additional five cases. His existing custody matters are separate.
A Haldia court had earlier remanded him to judicial custody until October 3 in connection with the old cases. Police have said that the cases include allegations relating to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, trespass and offences involving weapons. The cases were registered during the 2007 Nandigram agitation.
With the candidate in custody, Congress workers have continued campaigning in Nandigram. His wife, Arpita Pradhan, has also appealed to voters through a video message, asking them to support her husband. Her allegations that the arrest was politically motivated remain allegations and have not been judicially established.
The legal developments come amid an unusual political contest in Nandigram. The bypoll was necessitated after Suvendu Adhikari retained Bhabanipur and vacated the Nandigram seat following his victory from both constituencies in the 2026 Assembly election.
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Adhikari's deceased aide Chandranath Rath. The TMC candidate, Sanchita Pradhan De, subsequently withdrew from the contest, after which Mamata Banerjee's faction announced support for Pradhan, according to reports.
Pradhan's arrest shortly after that political development has become a major issue in the campaign. Congress has questioned the timing, while the police and state authorities have maintained that the action stems from longstanding warrants in old cases.
The Nandigram vote is scheduled for October 6, with campaigning ending on October 4. The next significant legal development in Pradhan's plea is now expected when the case returns to the Calcutta High Court on October 12.
