Calcutta HC grants interim bail to Congress' Nandigram candidate

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Nandigram bypoll Congress candidate, Milan Pradhan, who was arrested in relation to six criminal cases lodged in 2007. Meanwhile, HC has dismissed a plea by Congress alleging discrepancies in the election affidavit of BJP's Nandigram candidate Hasirani Rath.

HC allowed Pradhan to campaign for the bypoll, scheduled for October 6, and granted Pradhan relief till October 20. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed Pradhan to surrender before the trial court on October 21 and deposit a Rs 20,000 bail bond in each of the six cases for which he was arrested.

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The court directed Pradhan to give his mobile phone number to the investigating officer, who will be making calls to the candidate twice daily.

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West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said, "The interim bail is actually a victory of justice... Pradhan will be able to campaign... The election should be free, fair and fearless. Then, our candidate Milan Pradhan will win the polls."

Campaigning for the bypoll ends on October 4, and counting of votes will be held on October 9.