Nandigram Candidate Granted Bail
Calcutta High Court Grants Interim Bail Enabling Nandigram Candidate to Campaign
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The Calcutta High Court granted Congress candidate Milan Pradhan interim bail in all six cases against him, allowing him to campaign in the October 6 Nandigram by-election. The cases, including murder charges, date to the 2007 Nandigram anti-land-acquisition movement; Pradhan had been arrested on September 18. The judge said the relief would enable him to contest freely and imposed conditions, including daily check-ins with police and surrendering to the trial court after the election period. Pradhan’s lawyer alleged the arrest was politically motivated and intended to obstruct campaigning, while the court’s order addressed his ability to participate in the election.
Key Points
1
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh set the interim bail period to end on October 20 and directed Pradhan to surrender before the trial court on October 21. The court also ordered him to deposit a bail bond of ₹20,000 in each of the six cases.
2
The Nandigram by-election followed Suvendu Adhikari’s decision to retain Bhabanipur, one of two seats he won in the state polls. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress faction backed Pradhan after its own candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination.
3
Before the interim-bail ruling, another High Court bench had said Pradhan should be allowed to contest if granted bail and questioned why police sought his arrest in 2026 in cases dating to 2007.
4
The cases included allegations of attempt to murder and Arms Act violations, in addition to murder charges.
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