A court in East Midnapore’s Haldia sent Milan Pradhan, the candidate fielded by the Congress in Nandigram for the upcoming by-elections, to judicial custody till October 3.
“Pradhan was produced in a court in Haldia. His bail plea was rejected. The cases involve serious offences including murder, attempt to murder and abduction with intent to murder. Senior Congress leaders of the state including the state Congress president were present in the court when Pradhan was produced.
The court sent him to judicial custody till October 3,” said a senior police officer. To be sure, the arrest and the judicial custody will not disqualify Pradhan from contesting the poll but with the by-elections in the Nandigram assembly seat scheduled on October 6, Pradhan will not be able to campaign for the polls. Pradhan was arrested on Friday in connection with four murder cases registered against him in 2007 during the bloody agitation over farmland acquisition. In all 14 persons were killed. Police said that he has been absconding for 19 years.
The police said in a statement that Pradhan was arrested in connection with four pending non-bailable arrest warrants pending at Nandigram police station. “The ruling party is scared,” Pradhan said on his way to the court.
