West Bengal Police on Wednesday challenged in the Supreme Court the order of the Calcutta High Court under which Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was granted interim bail to contest the Nandigram Assembly by-election.
The matter was placed before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta demanding that the West Bengal government's plea be listed for hearing on Thursday.
SG Mehta demanded immediate listing and said that the petition would become ineffective if the hearing is held after the elections. The Solicitor General, appearing for the West Bengal government, said, “He has been granted bail for the elections. Can I take a chance tomorrow? That's all I am saying.”
However, the CJI refused to list the case on Thursday, saying the apex court's mandate was already too long.
“Our board is very long. We will definitely reject it, but we will reject it on Monday, not tomorrow,” the CJI said. When SG Mehta again requested that the case be listed on Thursday, the CJI repeated, “No. Monday.”
West Bengal Police has challenged the interim bail granted by a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan contesting the Nandigram by-election.
On Tuesday, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh granted interim bail to Pradhan till October 20 and specifically said that this relief is being granted to enable him to contest the by-election and participate freely in the election campaign like other candidates.
The Calcutta High Court also clarified that the interim bail will be applicable in respect of all the six cases registered against Pradhan. Pradhan was in judicial custody in two old murder cases registered in 2007 in connection with the anti-land acquisition agitation in Nandigram during the Left Front government in West Bengal. His judicial custody was to continue till October 5.
Nandigram assembly by-elections are on October 6 and counting of votes will take place on October 9. The High Court will hear the case again on October 11, a day after the interim bail period ends. Pradhan was arrested on 18 September.