NANDIGRAM CONGRESS CANDIDATE MILAN PRADHAN REMANDED UNTIL OCTOBER 7

September 23, 2026

KOLKATA: A court in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district on Wednesday remanded Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to judicial custody until October 7, a day after polling for the Nandigram Assembly by-election, in connection with a 2007 criminal case. The order effectively prevents Pradhan from campaigning before voting on October 6, as campaigning is scheduled to end on October 4.

Pradhan was produced before the Contai court after being shown arrested in a case registered at Khejuri police station. The prosecution sought his custody in connection with murder and other charges arising from the 2007 Nandigram anti-land-acquisition movement. The court rejected his bail plea, according to his lawyer.

The Congress candidate was already in judicial custody until October 5 in a separate Arms Act case and had earlier been remanded in other cases dating back to 2007. The Calcutta High Court is scheduled to hear Pradhan’s latest plea on September 24.

The Congress has questioned the timing of the arrests, alleging that old cases were being revived to disrupt Pradhan’s election campaign. The state government has maintained that the warrants were pending and were being executed through due process. The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.