Cases where Congress Nandigram pick sought court protection closed: State

Milan Pradhan moved the Calcutta High Court after being arrested in a 2007 case following his nomination as the Congress candidate for the Nandigram bypoll.

3 min readKolkataUpdated: Sep 22, 2026 02:57 PM IST

Congress's Milan Pradhan (left) was arrested barely a few hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her party will support Congress in the Nandigram bypolls (Express photo)

The West Bengal government informed the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday that it had withdrawn five cases in which the Congress Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan sought protection from arrest. He was arrested on September 18 in a 2007 case, hours after Mamata Banerjee’s TMC faction offered support to him.

Additional Advocate-General Rajdeep Majumdar submitted that the Congress candidate was arrested in five of the 11 cases registered against him. “In the six cases he moved, he had not been warranted. The five cases have already been withdrawn by the state, and in the sixth case he is not accused,” he said.

Majumdar added that Pradhan was arrested in five cases in which warrants had been pending since 2021.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharya then observed, “From 2021 warrant pending.”

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Senior advocate Ayan Bhattacharjee, appearing for Pradhan, submitted, “My prayer is twofold: one protection and second disclosure in the other cases. See the timing of the arrest.”

Bhattacharjee noted that the campaign for the October 6 bypoll will end on October 4 and the votes will be counted on October 9.

The court then orally directed the state not to take any coercive steps. The matter will be heard next on October 12.

State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar, who was present in the high court, told reporters later, “The court said there is no other case against him. We had faith in the court. The people will fight politically. Milan Pradhan had been pressured to withdraw from the bypoll. The others who have been implicated in this case and joined the BJP are roaming around.”

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Also Read | Mamata Banerjee backs Congress in Nandigram bypoll, her candidate opts out

Pradhan was remanded to judicial custody till October 3 in three cases registered during the 2007 Nandigram land acquisition movement. On September 19, the Khejuri police submitted an arrest warrant in a fourth case against the Congress candidate, and the Nandigram police filed another warrant on September 20.

Mamata Banerjee’s support for Pradhan came after her party’s candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, Adhikari’s aide who was killed in post-election violence in May this year.

Tanusree Bose

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage. Experience Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness. Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances. Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including: State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies. Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues. Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More

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