Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate Milan Pradhan denied bail, HC to hear plea on Thursday

Kolkata: Congress' Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan was, on Wednesday, denied bail by a local court in Khejuri and remanded to judicial custody till October 7. The Calcutta High Court had on Tuesday verbally observed that Pradhan could contest the bypolls.

The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee said it has moved a bail petition on behalf of Pradhan before the Calcutta High Court and also filed a writ petition challenging the alleged discrepancies in the affidavit submitted by BJP nominee Hasirani Rath.

Also Read: HC asks WB govt counsel to let Cong's Nandigram bypoll candidate to contest properly if he gets bail


Both the cases will be heard by the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Congress said in a statement that though the state government submitted before HC on Tuesday that there are no other cases, a new case has been added in Khejuri on Wednesday.

Congress said, "Acting on the instructions of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar, the party today moved the Calcutta High Court with a bail petition on behalf of Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and a writ petition concerning the affidavit submitted by BJP candidate Hasirani Rath and the Election Commission of India's response to the alleged discrepancies."

Congress said the writ petition seeks judicial scrutiny into the alleged discrepancies and the Election Commission's role in the matter. The petition, filed before the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao, has pointed out that Rath's affidavit stated that she was "60+ years" old and that she cleared Class 10 examination in 1965, revealing a discrepancy regarding her age and the time of attaining the educational qualification. Rath has reportedly not mentioned her date of birth in the affidavit and said her age is "60+ years".

Also Read: Milan Pradhan can contest Nandigram bypoll, Calcutta HC observes

Bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6 and counting will be on October 9. Pradhan was arrested last Friday in connection with cases filed against him during the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram.