Kolkata, Sep 23 A court in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district on Wednesday remanded the Congress's Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan to judicial custody until October 7, the day after the voting, in connection with a criminal case of 2007.
The development effectively ended Pradhan's chances to seek votes for himself in the by-election as campaigning would conclude on October 4.
Pradhan, who was already remanded to judicial custody till October 5 in an Arms Act case, was arraigned on murder and other charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with a case also registered in 2007 during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement, his lawyer at Contai court, Prasenjit Jana, said.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Contai Court sent Pradhan to judicial custody till October 7 after the prosecution prayed for his custody in connection with the murder charge.
The court rejected the Congress candidate's bail prayer, Jana said.
Pradhan was shown arrested by the police in the case registered at Khejuri police station and produced before the Contai court with a prayer for his remand, Jana said.
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said it will hear Pradhan's plea on September 24, claiming the state did not mention this case during a hearing on Tuesday.
The Congress candidate's advocate Ayan Bhattacharjee mentioned the matter before Justice Sauagata Bhattacharyya, submitting that Pradhan was shown arrested and produced before the court for remand in the case.
Justice Bhattacharyya on Tuesday verbally asked the West Bengal government's counsel to let the Congress candidate contest the byelection in Nandigram properly, provided he gets bail in five criminal cases in which he has been arrested.
Pradhan was sent to judicial custody till October 5 by the Contai court on September 21 in connection with a case under provisions of the Arms Act, registered nearly two decades ago.
Earlier on September 19, he was sent to judicial custody by the Haldia Sub-Divisional Court until October 3 in connection with four other pending non-bailable arrest warrants linked to cases in Nandigram dating back to 2007.
Several criminal cases were registered against Pradhan in 2007 at Nandigram and Khejuri police stations in Purba Medinipur district.
During a hearing on an application filed by Pradhan seeking protection from coercive action in six other cases registered against him, the state on Tuesday informed the Calcutta High Court that five of them were withdrawn by the previous government and he was not wanted in the sixth case.
The high court was informed on Tuesday that Pradhan was arrested and sent to judicial remand in connection with the other five criminal cases.
The October 6 bypoll to the Nandigram assembly seat was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated the constituency and retained Bhabanipur. He won both seats in the assembly polls held earlier this year.
The cases against Pradhan stem from the violent agitation against land acquisition by the then Left Front government in Nandigram and Khejuri in 2007.
Police said the pending cases include allegations of murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, disappearance of evidence, house trespass, rioting with arms and offences under the Arms Act.
According to the police, Pradhan was arrested on the basis of pending non-bailable warrants.
Pradhan's arrest on September 18 came just hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction of the Trinamool Congress would support the Congress candidate in Nandigram, after its nominee Sanchita Pradhan De withdrew from the contest.
The Congress has questioned the timing of the police action, alleging that old cases were being revived to disrupt Pradhan's campaign.
State Congress leaders have pointed out that he had completed the nomination and scrutiny process before being arrested, while wondering why the police had failed to execute the warrants earlier.
The party's youth leader in Nandigram Sheikh Matin maintained that despite Pradhan’s absence from the poll campaign, there will be no let-up in its canvassing for the candidate.
