4 min readKolkataUpdated: Sep 29, 2026 05:00 PM IST
The Calcutta High Court Tuesday granted interim bail to Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll in West Bengal, in murder cases linked to a 2007 land agitation.
The police arrested Pradhan on September 18, hours after former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced her party’s support for the Congress candidate.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh granted Pradhan interim bail for three weeks in all six cases ahead of the bypolls scheduled for October 6 in Nandigram. It directed him to surrender before the Haldia court on October 21.
The court further ordered two bail bonds of Rs 10,000, including one local surety. Pradhan must submit his mobile numbers to the respective police authorities, and the officer-in-charge will call him twice daily, between 10.30 am and 11.30 am, and between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm, to ascertain his whereabouts.
During the hearing, the state opposed the bail plea. Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar submitted, “In one of the cases (Khejuri 45), there was a direction by the single bench that he would not be shown arrested. We had challenged the order before the division bench. He should not be allowed to contest.”
Senior advocate Milan Mukherjee, appearing for Milan Pradhan, submitted, “He has to be declared a proclaimed offender. In 2020, those cases were withdrawn. In 2025, the order of the division bench was to restore the FIRs. I have come for interim bail as we are not aware of the allegations against us. We are asking for interim bail till the election is over.”
In its order, the court observed, “I have taken into account the submissions. The petitioner is in custody and praying for bail or interim bail to contest the elections. The petitioner was taken into custody after the filing of nomination; he claims that he was arrested in cases 19 years old.”
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“The events of Nandigram form the history of West Bengal, especially the farmers’ struggle…. The petitioner is a political activist, political involvement evident, accused in several matters of 2007. The state could not provide any documents to show that the petitioner was wanted in these cases. Interim bail granted for three weeks.”
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar told the media, “The truth won. BJP, in collusion with the Election Commission, tried to stop him and brought up 2007 cases. This bail proves that truth cannot be suppressed for long. People should keep faith in the judiciary. They had become scared of the Congress candidate; otherwise, many others are outside. Yesterday, our tableaux were vandalised, and Congress workers were assaulted.”
Speaking to the media, BJP candidate from Nandigram, Hasi Rani Rath, said, “Whether he gets bail or not is not our concern. It does not affect our party or us. We do not pressure anyone to withdraw their candidacy, nor do we suppress anyone’s voice. The law will take its course.”
Arrest in wake of bypoll
Pradhan was arrested and remanded to judicial custody till October 3 in three 2007 cases registered at the Nandigram police station during the land acquisition movement. The Khejuri police submitted an arrest warrant in a fourth case the next day, and the Nandigram police filed another warrant, with two more cases added later.
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Mamata Banerjee announced support for Pradhan after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the Trinamool Congress-backed candidate for Nandigram, withdrew her nomination.
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari resigned from the Nandigram seat to retain his Bhabanipur constituency, making this the first major electoral test for the ruling BJP since coming to power in the state earlier this year.
The BJP fielded Hasirani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath, a close aide and personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was shot dead in May.
