Nandigram by-election: Congress candidate Milan Pradhan sent to judicial custody

Kolkata: Congress's Nandigram by-election candidate Milan Pradhan was produced in court on Saturday and was remanded to judicial custody till October 3, 2026, following his arrest yesterday in connection with four pending non-bailable warrants issued by courts.

Pradhan was 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, and was produced before a local court on Saturday.

The court has remanded Pradhan for 14-day judicial custody till October 3 in three cases.


Pradhan, during his production in court today, said that BJP is scared of him.

Milan Pradhan, a resident of Gangra village under Nandigram police station, who is “a contesting candidate (INC) in the bye-election to 210-Nandigram AC, was arrested yesterday, i.e. 18.09.2026, within the limits of Chandipur P.S., on the basis of four pending non-bailable warrants of arrest issued by the Ld. Courts, pending at Nandigram P.S, police said in a statement.

Also Read | Congress candidate Milan Pradhan arrested in Kolkata for 2007 anti-land acquisition movement

"The concerned cases against the arrested person involve serious offences including murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, causing disappearance of evidence, house trespass, rioting with arms and deadly weapons," police said.

Pradesh Congress Committee President Subhankar Sarkar said, “Is BJP scared? What was the administration doing for all these decades that he was not arrested?”

“Police submitted that they could not find Milan Prdhan for 19 years. In connection with the Khejuri case, Pradhan will be separately produced on Monday to court,” Ajitesh Pandey, Congress spokesperson said.

Also Read | 'Black chapter in Indian democracy': KC Venugopal on Milan Pradhan's arrest ahead of Nandigram bypoll

Congress leader Subhasish Bhattacharya, said, "Milan was taken away by police from a hotel in Chandipur. I stopped them. The warrant dated back to 2007. I questioned what they were doing for the last so many years?”

Pradhan's arrest came hours after former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee extended her support to the Congress candidates in the Nandigram and Assam bypolls, after her party’s Nandigram candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination on Friday afternoon.

Banerjee suffered a major jolt on Friday after losing her twin flower symbol, her party’s name and the sudden withdrawal of her Nandigram candidate from the bypolls. Banerjee’s faction was allotted a new symbol of a footballer and a new name –– Mamata All India Trinamool Congress –– by the ECI on Friday.