North India Statesman
Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the upcoming Nandigram Assembly bypoll in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking urgent interim protection against coercive action in five other cases registered against him during the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement. Pradhan, who was arrested late last week from Chandipur in connection with a 19-year-old murder case, faces the prospect of being shown as arrested consecutively in multiple pending matters, effectively locking him out of the entire campaign trail ahead of the October 6 vote.
A single-judge bench presided over by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya admitted the petition after Pradhan’s legal counsel, Ayan Bhattacharjee, mentioned the matter for an expedited hearing. The High Court agreed to hear the plea on Tuesday, September 22, to determine whether administrative and investigative agencies can execute additional non-bailable warrants while the candidate remains incarcerated.
Apprehension Over Serial Arrests and Custodial Extensions
Pradhan’s legal team submitted that while their client is already in judicial custody, local police authorities are actively processing multiple pending warrants to prolong his detention. On September 18, Pradhan was initially taken into custody in one case and later remanded to 14 days of judicial custody until October 3 by a Haldia subdivisional court. However, fresh warrants were subsequently produced by the Khejuri and Nandigram police stations, prompting a Contai court to extend his custody until October 5 in an additional Arms Act matter.
Pradhan’s counsel argued before the court that these five additional cases—which were disclosed transparently in his election nomination affidavit—are being selectively enforced to prevent him from canvassing. With campaigning scheduled to conclude on October 4, his legal representatives have sought court directives to restrain further custodial arrests and mandate complete disclosure of all pending warrants against him.
High-Voltage Political Backdrop in Nandigram
The arrest of Milan Pradhan on September 18 triggered a fierce political storm across West Bengal, coming hours after former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly announced her Trinamool Congress faction’s unconditional support for the Congress nominee. The endorsement followed the sudden withdrawal of Trinamool’s designated candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, from the bypoll contest.
The state Congress leadership, backed by the INDIA bloc, has alleged political vendetta, accusing the state administration of trying to neutralize the opposition ahead of polling day. In response, the police administration maintained that the action was strictly lawful, executing long-standing non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued during the Left Front era under Election Commission of India (ECI) compliance guidelines. The seat, previously vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is headed for a multi-cornered contest, with vote counting scheduled for October 9.
