Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate facing 19-year-old murder, rioting cases to be produced in court
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with 19-year-old cases involving murder and rioting related to the 2007 Nandigram movement. The arrest has sparked protests from the Congress party, which questions the timing and lack of transparency regarding the detention.
Why it matters
The arrest of a political candidate during an active by-election cycle raises questions about the use of historical legal cases in contemporary political maneuvering.
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 .
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