Kolkata, Sep 29 The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to arrested Nandigram bypoll candidate of the Congress, Milan Pradhan, in six criminal cases lodged in 2007.
The court granted the Congress candidate relief till October 20, allowing him to campaign for the October 6 bypoll to the Nandigram Assembly seat, vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who has opted to retain Bhabanipur, which he had also won in the state polls earlier this year.
Granting the interim relief, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed Pradhan to surrender before the trial court on October 21. The high court judge also directed Pradhan to deposit Rs 20,000 bail bond in each of the six criminal cases for which he was arrested.
Passing the interim bail order, Justice Ghosh said the magistrate of the trial court concerned would decide on appropriate steps after considering the cases against him.
The high court also directed Pradhan to give his mobile phone number to the investigating officer, who will have the liberty to make calls to the candidate twice a day.
All these criminal cases on charges such as murder and attempt to murder, and for violation of the Arms Act provisions, were filed against Pradhan in 2007 during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement.
Campaigning for the bypoll ends on October 4, and the counting of votes will be held on October 9.
Pradhan had been in judicial remand since his arrest on September 18 in connection with four cases registered at Nandigram police station and two more in neighbouring Khejuri.
The high court had in April 2007 ordered a CBI investigation into the death of 14 people in police firing at Nandigram.
Pradhan's lawyer Milan Mukherjee stated before the court that the Congress candidate was arrested after filing his nomination for the Nandigram bypoll on September 15 and prayed for interim bail so that he could campaign and participate in the election properly.
The trial court at Kanthi had remanded him to judicial custody in one of the cases till October 7, which would have effectively ended his prospect of campaigning for the bypoll.
Opposing the bail prayer, the state's lawyer, during the previous hearing, had informed the court that 18 people were accused in the cases and six of them were out on bail.
A Calcutta High Court division bench on September 25 set aside a single-bench order granting relief to the Congress' Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan from coercive action in a 2007 criminal case, expressing surprise over the directive since he was in judicial custody in the matter.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge, held that in criminal law, there was no provision for such interim protection for an accused.
It said an accused can apply for anticipatory bail if he is apprehensive of arrest or can seek bail after being held.
While hearing an application filed by Pradhan seeking protection from coercive action in six other cases registered against him, the high court was informed by the state on September 22 that five of them were withdrawn by the previous government and he was not wanted in the sixth case.
Kolkata, Sep 29 The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to arrested Nandigram bypoll candidate of the Congress, Milan Pradhan, in six criminal cases lodged in 2007.
The court granted the Congress candidate relief till October 20, allowing him to campaign for the October 6 bypoll to the Nandigram Assembly seat, vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who has opted to retain Bhabanipur, which he had also won in the state polls earlier this year.
Granting the interim relief, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed Pradhan to surrender before the trial court on October 21. The high court judge also directed Pradhan to deposit Rs 20,000 bail bond in each of the six criminal cases for which he was arrested.
All these criminal cases on charges such as murder and attempt to murder, and for violation of the Arms Act provisions, were filed against Pradhan in 2007 during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement.
Campaigning for the bypoll ends on October 4, and the counting of votes will be held on October 9.
