Kolkata, 24 September (H.S.) : Providing major legal relief to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram by-election, the Calcutta High Court has directed the state police not to take any coercive action against him in any new case until October 12. Hearing the matter on Thursday, the court of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya clarified that Pradhan cannot be shown as arrested in any new case during this specified period.

During the hearing, the Congress candidate's counsel, Ayan Bhattacharya, leveled serious allegations, stating that the state government had directly violated its previous assurance. The defense argued that while the state had earlier assured the court that no new cases were pending against Pradhan, he was subsequently framed in a fresh case and sent to judicial custody until October 7. Pleading before the court, the counsel stated that since voting in Nandigram is scheduled for October 6, his client should be given a fair opportunity to participate in the democratic process and contest the elections.

Representing the state government, Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar claimed that the Congress candidate had been arrested in the new case on the 19th, and this information was brought to the court's notice on the 21st. However, the defense outright rejected this claim, asserting that the new charges were slapped against their client only on Wednesday. After hearing both sides, the High Court rejected the state government's arguments. In a stern remark, the court noted the absence of any authentic document to confirm that the Congress candidate's production warrant was effective. Additionally, the court directed the state not to take any further steps in the six other pending cases for the time being.

Notably, Milan Pradhan was arrested last Friday from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur in connection with old cases related to the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement. According to the police, cases are registered against him at the Nandigram and Khejuri police stations on charges of murder, attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, and looting. Currently, the Haldia sub-divisional court has remanded him to jail custody until October 5, while the Kanthi court has ordered his jail custody until October 7 in another case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh