Kolkata, Sept. 24 -- The Calcutta high court on Thursday orally observed that the West Bengal government should allow Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest the Nandigram by-election scheduled for October 6, despite his judicial custody in multiple 2007 cases.

Milan Pradhan, the candidate, was arrested on September 18 in connection with a 2007 murder case and later shown arrested in five other cases, all registered in the same year. Earlier this week, two lower courts at Contai and Haldia in East Midnapore sent him to judicial custody till October 7.

With the by-election scheduled on October 6, Pradhan will not be able to campaign if he is denied bail.

"Allow him to contest," the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya said while a...