# Calcutta HC orally directs Bengal to allow arrested Congress candidate to contest Nandigram bypoll 2026-09-24T14:27:01+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Calcutta high court on Thursday orally directed the West Bengal government to allow arrested Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest the Nandigram assembly bypoll on October 6. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya held that Pradhan would not be treated as 'arrested' in a 2007 case from Khejuri police station, which was not among the 11 cases mentioned before the court on September 22. The court noted that the state had produced no document showing that a production warrant had been served on Pradhan. Pradhan was arrested on September 18, hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her Trinamool Congress faction would support him. He faces charges including murder from the 2007 anti-land acquisition protests. The court questioned why a production warrant was issued in a case that was not disclosed earlier, and directed police not to take coercive steps against Pradhan in that case until October 12. Pradhan has filed bail applications in four of the five cases. Counting is on October 9. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage is uniformly neutral in reporting the court order, but the three outlets differ in framing the political context. Times of India leads with the court's oral direction and includes the state's explanation that cases were withdrawn in 2020 and reinstated in 2021 after a PIL. India Today foregrounds the candidate's wife accusing Suvendu Adhikari of misusing power, quoting her comparison to British rule. Hindustan Times highlights the court's question about what the investigating officer did between 2021 and 2026. The key difference is that India Today gives voice to opposition allegations, while the other two stay closer to the court proceedings. The arrest's timing, just after TMC support was announced, remains the central political fact, with the court's skepticism about the delayed warrant being the legal point to watch when bail hearings resume on Friday. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with court order, includes state and court quotes, no editorial slant - indiatoday.in (government critical) Leads with wife's allegations against Suvendu Adhikari, frames arrest as misuse of power - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Leads with court observation, includes state explanation of case reinstatement Tags: Calcutta High Court, Mamata Banerjee, Milan Pradhan, Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/calcutta-hc-orally-asks-bengal-to-let-arrested-congress-candidate-contest-nandigram-bypoll/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/calcutta-hc-orally-asks-bengal-to-let-arrested-congress-candidate-contest-nandigram-bypoll/#story-in-brief