Kolkata, Sep 21 (IANS) Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the bypolls from Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, who was arrested last week in connection with an old murder case registered against him in 2007, on Monday, approached a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court seeking interim protection from coercive police action in five other cases registered against him during the same period.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya had admitted the petition. The first hearing in the matter will be held on September 22.

The Congress candidate for Nandigram bypoll was arrested from Chandipur in East Midnapore district on the evening of September 18.

According to police, he was arrested in an old murder case filed during the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007 during the late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led Left Front regime. Arrest warrants were issued against Milan Pradhan in other cases, too, a long time ago.

The police claimed that they arrested Milan Pradhan to execute the long-standing Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) for his arrest as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

After filing the petition at the Calcutta High Court on Monday, Milan Pradhan’s counsel Ayan Bhattacharya said that after his client has already been arrested in one case, there were apprehensions that he might be shown as arrested in five other old cases registered against him.

Pradhan was arrested on September 18 evening after former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, announced that the faction in the Trinamool Congress led by her would support the Congress candidate from Nandigram.

Mamata Banerjee’s announcement on this count came just after her faction’s candidate, Sanchita Dey Pradhan withdrew her nomination from Nandigram.

A murder case was registered against Milan Pradhan during the Nandigram movement in 2007. Police claimed that in addition there were cases of attempt to murder, kidnapping with intent to murder, destruction of evidence, trespassing and spreading unrest using weapons.

Police said they executed the NBW for his arrest as per the instructions of the ECI.

The police also claimed that three FIRs were filed at Nandigram police station and one at Khejuri police station initially.

On Saturday, the Haldia subdivision Court sent Milan Pradhan to 14-days’ jail custody till October 3.

The bypolls for Nandigram, as well as for Rejinagar Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district, will be held on October 6 and the counting will be on October 9.

–IANS

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