Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Calcutta High Court Denies Relief to Nandigram Congress Candidate
Milan Pradhan is the Congress candidate in an election in Nandigram.
Police arrested him in connection with several old cases from 2007.
Those cases are linked to protests against land acquisition.
The allegations include rioting, murder and criminal intimidation.
Pradhan asked the Calcutta High Court to protect him from more arrests or cancel the cases.
His lawyers said the arrest could affect the election and his ability to campaign.
The state said police were carrying out old arrest warrants, not targeting the election.
The High Court decided that it did not need to intervene in the five cases.
The Calcutta High Court declined to intervene in Milan Pradhan’s plea involving five 2007 criminal cases.
Pradhan sought protection from arrest or other coercive action, while another report said he sought to quash all five proceedings.
He remains in judicial custody in older cases involving alleged rioting, murder and criminal intimidation during the Nandigram land movement.
Pradhan’s counsel argued that his arrest before the by-election threatened the democratic process; the state said police were executing longstanding warrants.
The Nandigram by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.
- Who
- Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the Nandigram Assembly by-election.
- What
- The Calcutta High Court declined to intervene in his plea concerning five criminal cases from 2007.
- When
- The plea was heard on Tuesday; the by-election is scheduled for October 6 and counting for October 9.
- Where
- The plea was heard by the Calcutta High Court, and the cases concern Nandigram and other areas of West Bengal.
- Why
- Pradhan sought protection from coercive action or quashing of the proceedings, while the state defended the arrests as enforcement of longstanding non-bailable warrants.
Pradhan’s Legal Position
State’s Position
Reason for the arrest
Pradhan’s Legal Position
Pradhan’s counsel argued that arresting him in a 19-year-old case shortly before the by-election was an attempt to destabilise the democratic process and could prevent him from campaigning.
State’s Position
The state’s counsel said Pradhan was arrested because authorities had been instructed to execute longstanding non-bailable warrants before the by-elections.
- Candidate
- Milan Pradhan
- Party
- Indian National Congress
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Cases
- Five cases registered in 2007, involving allegations including rioting, murder and criminal intimidation
- Custody
- Pradhan remains in judicial custody in other cases; reports give custody orders extending to October 3 and October 5
- By-election
- Nandigram Assembly by-election scheduled for October 6
- Counting
- Counting scheduled for October 9
- High Court outcome
- Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya declined to issue directions in the five cases
