Supreme Court Refuses Urgent Hearing on Bengal Government Plea Against Bail for Congress Candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram Bypoll The Supreme Court has rejected the West Bengal government's request for an urgent hearing against the interim bail granted to Congress nominee Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram bypoll. A bench led by CJI Suryakant listed the matter for October 5. Political tension surrounding the upcoming assembly bypoll in Nandigram intensified as the controversy over interim bail granted to Congress nominee Milan Pradhan reached the Supreme Court. The West Bengal administration had approached the apex court seeking an immediate challenge to the relief provided by the Calcutta High Court. However, a bench presided over by Chief Justice of India Suryakant turned down the state government's plea for an immediate or next-day hearing, asserting that the matter would be taken up only on Monday, October 5, 2026. The decision handed a major strategic reprieve to the Congress candidate and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee, who has extended her support to his campaign. Apex Court Declines Plea for Next-Day Listing The matter was mentioned directly before Chief Justice Suryakant by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared on behalf of the West Bengal administration. Mehta urgently requested that the petition be placed on the roster for hearing on Thursday. He underscored that the plea challenges the interim bail granted to Pradhan across six criminal cases registered back in 2007, making timely intervention necessary before the voting exercise takes place. CJI Suryakant, however, firmly indicated that the court would address the state's petition only on October 5. Courtroom Exchange Over Urgent Listing Pressing hard for an expedited review, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that delaying the hearing until after the bypoll concluded would render the entire petition infructuous. Representing the state government, Mehta asked whether he could take the risk of tomorrow, pointing out that the accused was granted bail specifically to contest the electoral race. He maintained that his only appeal was to have the case listed without delay. Chief Justice Suryakant dismissed the plea to schedule the hearing for Thursday, citing the heavy workload before the court. The CJI pointed out that the daily roster of the Supreme Court was already very long. Responding to the persistent plea, CJI Suryakant stated that the court would certainly dismiss it, but on Monday rather than the following day. When Solicitor General Mehta reiterated his appeal for a Thursday listing, the CJI stood his ground, replying with a firm no and confirming the Monday date. The bench alongside Chief Justice Suryakant comprised Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana. Calcutta High Court Ruling and Surrender Conditions The legal challenge originated after the West Bengal police contested an order delivered by a single bench of the Calcutta High Court. The high court had on Tuesday granted Milan Pradhan interim bail until October 20, explicitly allowing him to campaign for the Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6. In its directive, the Calcutta High Court also instructed Pradhan to surrender before the jurisdictional trial court on October 21 once the interim period expired. The criminal proceedings pending against Pradhan date back to the 2007 agitation against land acquisition in Nandigram, involving serious charges such as murder, attempt to murder, and violations under the provisions of the Arms Act. Electoral Context of Nandigram and Support From Mamata Banerjee The vacancy in the Nandigram constituency arose following the resignation of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. In the state assembly elections held earlier this year, Adhikari had contested from both the Bhawanipur and Nandigram segments, emerging victorious in both constituencies. He subsequently chose to retain the Bhawanipur seat and vacated Nandigram. In the ensuing bypoll, Mamata Banerjee extended her backing to the Congress contender Milan Pradhan, turning the courtroom dispute into a high-stakes political contest. What this means for you The Supreme Court's refusal to grant an urgent listing enables the Congress candidate to continue his election campaign ahead of the Nandigram bypoll without immediate legal disruption. • Across India: The ruling reinforces the judicial convention that standard court rosters take precedence over sudden political urgency. It sets a distinct example for how emergency listing requests tied to electoral deadlines are handled by the apex court. • In West Bengal: Voters in Nandigram will see the Congress candidate actively participating in the campaign trail right up to the October 6 polling date. Local law enforcement and election officials will consequently have to maintain standard security protocols throughout the campaign. • For political contenders: Competing political formations must now focus entirely on grassroot campaigning rather than expecting immediate judicial intervention before votes are cast. The absence of a pre-poll stay shifts the complete momentum onto direct public outreach. • For trial proceedings: The candidate remains bound to surrender before the local court on October 21 as mandated by the high court. This ensures that the electoral concession remains strictly temporary without curtailing ongoing criminal trial procedures. Why this happened The legal confrontation arose from the Calcutta High Court granting temporary bail to an accused candidate to contest elections, prompting the state administration to seek an emergency stay. • Immediate trigger: The Calcutta High Court allowed Congress candidate Milan Pradhan interim bail until October 20 specifically to campaign for the Nandigram bypoll. The state police immediately petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn that relief. • Grounds for urgency: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the upcoming voting on October 6 would render the legal challenge meaningless if not taken up by Thursday. The state contended that serious criminal charges warranted immediate intervention before campaigning progressed. • Reason for refusal: Chief Justice Suryakant highlighted the court's heavily congested daily cause list as the primary reason for declining an extraordinary listing. The bench firmly ruled that the petition would only be taken up on Monday, October 5 in accordance with regular listing schedules. • Underlying history: The six criminal charges against Pradhan, including murder and arms violations, stem from the 2007 Nandigram land agitation. The assembly seat became vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari resigned from it to retain the Bhawanipur constituency. Questions & Answers 1. Why did the Supreme Court decline an urgent hearing for the West Bengal government's plea? Chief Justice Suryakant pointed out that the court's roster was already very long, deciding that the matter would be taken up on Monday, October 5 instead of Thursday. 2. Until what date was Milan Pradhan granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court? The Calcutta High Court granted Milan Pradhan interim bail until October 20, ordering him to surrender before the trial court on October 21. 3. Why is the bypoll being held in the Nandigram assembly constituency? The seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won both Bhawanipur and Nandigram and subsequently resigned from Nandigram to retain Bhawanipur. 4. What incidents do the criminal cases registered against Milan Pradhan relate to? The six cases involving murder, attempt to murder, and Arms Act violations date back to the 2007 land acquisition agitation in Nandigram. 5. Who were the judges on the Supreme Court bench handling the listing request? The bench comprised Chief Justice of India Suryakant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana. https://trendkia.com/en/west-bengal/nandigram-upachunava-men-congress-pratyashi-milan-pradhan-ki-jamanata-para-turnta-sunavai-se-supreme-court-ka-inakara-40329 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.