Congress’s Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested on September 18 in connection with criminal cases registered during the 2007 Nandigram agitation.
Police arrested Pradhan on the basis of four pending non-bailable warrants issued by courts. He was produced before a court on September 19 and sent to 14-day judicial custody until October 3.
The Nandigram Assembly by-election is scheduled for October 6, which means Pradhan is set to remain in custody for most of the election campaign unless there is a change in his legal position.
Cases date back to 2007
The cases against Pradhan relate to the period of violence and protests surrounding the Nandigram land-acquisition movement in 2007.
According to police records cited in reports, the cases include allegations of murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, rioting, criminal intimidation, house trespass and causing disappearance of evidence. Some of the cases also include charges under the Arms Act.
The cases are still pending. The allegations against Pradhan have not resulted in convictions, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.
Police say arrest was based on warrants
The arrest has become a political issue because of its timing, coming just weeks before the Nandigram by-election.
A senior police officer told The Indian Express that the arrest was not linked to the election. According to the officer, authorities review old pending arrest warrants during election periods and found that Pradhan had no legal protection from arrest in the cases.
Police have maintained that the action was based on the four pending non-bailable warrants.
Congress questions timing of arrest
Congress leaders have questioned why the cases were acted upon after so many years, particularly so close to the by-election.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar questioned the timing and alleged that the state government was targeting the opposition. Congress leaders have demanded Pradhan’s release and said the party would continue its election campaign.
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal also criticised the arrest and alleged political interference.
These claims are allegations made by Congress and have not been independently established.
Arrest came after Mamata’s support
The arrest also came shortly after a significant political development in Nandigram.
On September 18, Mamata Banerjee announced support for Pradhan in the by-election after her faction’s candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the contest.
Pradhan was arrested only hours after the announcement. The timing led Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s faction to question whether the arrest was politically motivated.
The BJP has rejected the allegations and maintained that the arrest was part of the legal process.
Custody could affect election campaign
Pradhan’s judicial custody until October 3 could significantly limit his ability to campaign ahead of the October 6 election.
The campaign period ends shortly before polling, leaving only a short window between his scheduled release and voting day if his custody is not extended or otherwise changed.
However, being arrested or remaining in custody does not by itself mean that Pradhan has been disqualified from contesting the election. His ability to contest depends on the applicable election and legal provisions and any court orders in his case.
2007 Nandigram cases back in focus
The arrest has brought the events of 2007 Nandigram back into the political spotlight.
The land-acquisition protests had become one of the biggest political flashpoints in West Bengal. Violence during the agitation left several people dead and became a major issue in the state’s political contest at the time.
Nearly two decades later, the pending criminal cases have resurfaced in the middle of the Nandigram by-election campaign.
Pradhan is the Congress candidate from Nandigram, while the election is being closely watched because of the political importance of the constituency and the recent developments involving Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s faction.
