Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate in the recently concluded Nandigram Assembly bypoll, till November 25.
The single-judge vacation bench of Justice Partha Pratim Roy extended the bail. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee issued a statement quoting the ruling.
Pradhan was first granted bail to contest the bypoll on September 29, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. The apex court did not interfere with the interim bail order and directed the state government to go back to the Calcutta High Court.
His previous interim bail was till October 21, and he was to surrender at a district court in Haldia in East Midnapore district. A day before it expired, the High Court extended it.
Pradhan contested the bypoll as a Congress candidate with the support of the faction in the Trinamool Congress led by former 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. Pradhan was defeated by the BJP's Hasirani Rath by a margin of around 1.23 lakh votes.
Separately, Mamata Banerjee reacted sharply after a court extended the judicial custody of two Cockroach Janta Party leaders. 'It is state-sponsored terrorism,' she said, alleging that CJP co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were being subjected to torture.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee attacked the Centre over the protests against the SIR in Delhi, alleging that democratic institutions were being targeted. State Congress president Suvankar Sarkar said the party had full faith in the judiciary and would fight Pradhan's case in future too.