{
  "id": 9550739,
  "title": "Calcutta HC asks State to allow Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest Nandigram bypoll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/calcutta-hc-asks-state-to-allow-congress-candidate-milan-pradhan-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T12:05:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal/calcutta-hc-asks-state-to-allow-congress-candidate-milan-pradhan-to-contest-nandigram-bypoll/article71503181.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 24, 2026, the Calcutta High Court instructed the state to permit Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to participate in the Nandigram byelection, while noting he would not be considered arrested in a case sent to judicial remand by a lower court until October 7. The bypoll for Nandigram is slated for October 6, with campaigning concluding on October 4.\n\nWhen Milan Pradhan's lawyer argued that he had been portrayed as arrested and remanded in a 2007 criminal case, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya requested the court to be informed of any documents proving the production warrant's delivery to Pradhan. Justice Bhattacharyya subsequently directed local police not to take any actions against Pradhan until October 12 relating to case number 45 of 2007 at Khejuri police station in Purba Medinipur district, and insisted he would not be treated as arrested in that criminal prosecution.\n\nThe High Court's attention was drawn to the fact that the 2007 criminal prosecution was still ongoing, with the investigating officer having requested Pradhan to be treated as arrested as early as September 19. On September 22, the Calcutta High Court had also advised the West Bengal government not to hinder Pradhan's participation in the Nandigram election, provided he secures bail in the five criminal cases he has been arrested for.\n\nIn response to Pradhan's counsel Ayan Bhattacharjee, the Court questioned the timing of his arrest following the High Court's order on September 22, where the State had claimed five criminal cases were pending against him. The High Court heard the plea on September 22, where the State informed it that five of those cases were withdrawn by the previous government and he was not a suspect in the sixth case. The Court also heard that Pradhan had been arrested and sent to judicial custody for the other five cases.\n\nPradhan's attorney Ayan Bhattacharjee admitted he was unaware of case number 45 of 2007 at Khejuri police station and thus it had not been brought to the court's attention on September 22. The Additional Advocate General stated that on September 19, a production warrant had been issued against Pradhan in connection with the Khejuri police station case, where he faced charges of murder, attempt to murder, and other IPC offences. The Additional AG mentioned that the previous government had withdrawn all six cases in which Pradhan had been arrested in 2020, but a previous High Court order in 2021 reinstated these cases due to their relation to murder charges.\n\nJustice Bhattacharyya inquired about the actions of the investigating officer given the pending arrest warrant, to which the Additional AG stated that the previous government had not acted on the cases. Pradhan has already submitted bail applications in four criminal cases against him. The lawyer stated that despite the State government maintaining before the Court that no other cases existed, Pradhan was still portrayed as arrested and produced before the lower court seeking custody in another case. The prosecution had not informed the High Court about the production warrant in connection with the Khejuri police station case. Pradhan's lawyer asked the Court to pass an order preventing the State from taking any further actions against the Congress candidate in any other case. The pending cases against Pradhan stem from the violent land acquisition protests in Nandigram and Khejuri during 2007, and include charges of murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, disappearance of evidence, house trespass, rioting with arms, and offences under the Arms Act. Pradhan's arrest on September 18 followed Mamata Banerjee's announcement that her faction of Trinamool Congress would support Pradhan in Nandigram after its nominee Sanchita Pradhan De withdrew from the contest.",
  "summary": "Bypoll in Nandigram is scheduled for October 6, with campaigning ending on October 4",
  "key_points": [
    "Calcutta High Court permits Milan Pradhan to contest Nandigram bypoll.",
    "Pradhan's arrest warrant for 2007 case to be held until October 12.",
    "By-election scheduled for October 6, campaigning ends October 4."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "'Gyanesh must go': Congress to hold protest marches to state ECs on Sept 25",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/gyanesh-must-go-congress-to-hold-protest-marches-to-state-ecs-on-sept",
        "published": "2026-09-24T09:55:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}