Calcutta High Court Allows Congress Candidate Milan Pradhan to Contest Nandigram By-Election if Granted Bail

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the counsel for the West Bengal government to allow Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest the election if he is granted bail. Justice Saugata Bhattacharya heard the case. Milan Pradhan is a candidate in the Nandigram by-election. Pradhan has 11 cases registered against him. Pradhan has been arrested in five cases. He is currently in jail. The Haldia Sub-Divisional Court had sent him to judicial custody till October 3 in four cases on September 19. These cases relate to Nandigram in 2007. Subsequently, the Kanthi Court on September 21 sent him to 14-day judicial custody in a nearly two-decade-old case of the Arms Act. Voting for the Nandigram by-election is on October 6, campaigning will end on October 4 and counting of votes will take place on October 9. The orders of the two lower courts have virtually ended Pradhan's chance to campaign for himself. He will be able to campaign only if he is granted bail. Pradhan's lawyer said he was arrested on September 18. Kanthi Bhattacharya's lawyer said he would challenge the state government's order in the Calcutta High Court during the hearing of six cases on Monday.