Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate facing 19-year-old murder, rioting cases to be produced in court

Congress’s Nandigram byelection candidate Milan Pradhan, arrested for his alleged involvement in at least four cases related to rioting, murder and criminal intimidation that were filed during the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement, will be produced before a court on Saturday (September 19, 2026), police said.

The party would hold a rally in Kolkata during the day in protest against Mr. Pradhan’s arrest.

Mr. Pradhan was arrested at a hotel in Chandipur in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district along with another party leader, Subhasish Bhattacharya, on Friday (September 18) evening.

Mr. Bhattacharya was arrested for allegedly preventing the police from apprehending Pradhan.

“Mr. Pradhan was arrested in connection with four cases registered in 2007. Those cases are related to rioting, murder and criminal intimidation,” the officer told PTI.

“The cases include three registered at Nandigram police station and one at Khejuri police station. Those were registered under sections of the IPC and Arms Act. He would be produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Haldia, today (September 19),” he said.

Mr. Pradhan was arrested after former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her party’s support for the Congress in the October 6 Nandigram bypoll, after her candidate withdrew from the contest.

State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar, after Mr. Pradhan’s arrest, said the party had no idea why he was arrested and where he was kept.

“We got to know that he had been held for a murder case, but we have no clear idea about it. Milan Pradhan was among those leaders who were at the forefront of the Nandigram movement and he was booked under several cases. But, why was he arrested today?” Mr. Sarkar had said on Friday (September 18) evening.

The Congress leader claimed that when the party approached a senior official of the Election Commission, even he could not provide details on Mr. Pradhan’s arrest.

“The police have not given any reason for Mr. Pradhan’s arrest. This is quite surprising. When the model code of conduct is in force, and the administration of that particular seat (Nandigram) is under the EC, how can the police arrest a candidate?” Mr. Sarkar asked.

Mr. Sarkar also hit out at Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, asserting that police were made to arrest Mr. Pradhan as the BJP was “afraid of losing the polls”.

“Milan Pradhan is a popular candidate in Nandigram, and the BJP is afraid of losing the polls. That is the reason he was arrested. If the police needed to question him, they could have summoned him,” Mr. Sarkar said.

The Congress leader also said it was surprising that even after winning the assembly elections with such a big mandate, “the BJP was using the EC to win a bypoll”.

“It shows how much the BJP has lost relevance within such a short time span,” he added.