Kolkata, Oct 20 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, extended the interim bail period for Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the recently concluded bypoll for Nandigram Assembly, till November 25.
The interim bail period was extended by the single-judge vacation bench of Justice Partha Pratim Roy. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee has also issued a press statement quoting the ruling of Justice Roy.
Milan was first granted bail to contest the Nandigram by September 29, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. The apex court did not interfere in the interim bail order from the Calcutta High Court and instead directed the state government to go back to the Calcutta High Court and proceed in the matter.
The previous interim bail period for Milan was till October 21, and he was supposed to surrender on the same at a district court at Haldia in East Midnapore district. However, a day before the expiry of the interim bail period, the Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, extended the interim bail period.
Expressing satisfaction over the Tuesday order, the state Congress president in West Bengal, Suvankar Sarkar, told media persons that the Congress has full faith in the judicial system and would fight out Milan’s case in future too.
Milan contested the bypolls as a Congress candidate with the support of the faction in Trinamool Congress led by the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
Mamata Banerjee announced her support for the Congress candidate after her own candidate, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, withdrew her nomination at the last moment after a meeting with the current West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.
He was defeated by BJP’s Hasirani Rath by a massive margin of around 1.23 lakh votes.
–IANS
src/dan
