India, Sept. 22 -- The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, September 22, orally told the West Bengal government to "let him contest, provided he gets bail," while hearing a plea by Congress's Nandigram by-poll candidate Milan Pradhan seeking protection from coercive action in cases pending against him.

Pradhan was arrested on September 18 pursuant to pending warrants in cases arising from the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement, and has since been shown arrested in four more cases, involving allegations including murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, causing disappearance of evidence, house trespass and rioting with deadly weapons. He is currently in judicial custody and has sought bail separately in these mat...