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Calcutta High Court grants interim bail to Milan Pradhan

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 10:14 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Milan Pradhan Bail

Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to Milan Pradhan, Congress candidate for Nandigram bypoll.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh ordered Pradhan to surrender on October 21.
The court required a Rs 20,000 bond for each of six 2007 cases, including murder.
A division bench later revoked the interim bail, directing Pradhan to seek regular bail, citing no special candidate protection.

Summary

Court Rejects Petition

Calcutta High Court dismissed Congress’s petition challenging BJP candidate Hasirani Rath’s election affidavit.
Justice Krishna Rao delivered the order after reserving judgment following arguments on September 25.
Congress argued Rath listed an age over 60 while her Class 10 pass-out year of 1965 created a gap.
Election Commission counsel Jishnu Chowdhury said nomination scrutiny ended on September 17 so objections cannot be raised now.

History

Historical Context

India’s 1998 general election—held on 16, 22 and 28 February after the Gujral government fell—produced a hung Lok Sabha, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee forming a fragile coalition supported by 272 of 543 MPs. The ensuing political instability spurred judicial attention to electoral disputes, a legacy that underpins the Calcutta High Court’s 2024 enforcement of petition deadlines.

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Milan Pradhan Bail

Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to Milan Pradhan, Congress candidate for Nandigram bypoll.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh ordered Pradhan to surrender on October 21.
The court required a Rs 20,000 bond for each of six 2007 cases, including murder.
A division bench later revoked the interim bail, directing Pradhan to seek regular bail, citing no special candidate protection.

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