The bench, led by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and including Justice Om Narayan Rai, overturned an order issued on Thursday. That order had directed police not to take action against Pradhan in the Khejuri police station case until October 12 and said he should not be treated as arrested in it.
The division bench said an accused person may seek bail after arrest or apply for anticipatory bail when fearing arrest. It added that the law applies equally and that a candidate contesting an election should not receive different consideration. Pradhan faces charges including murder and attempted murder in the 2007 case; the charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.
Pradhan was arrested by Purba Medinipur district police on September 18 and later shown as arrested in the Khejuri case. The Contai court remanded him to judicial custody on September 23 through October 7. The High Court’s latest ruling leaves that remand in effect.
The Nandigram by-election is scheduled for October 6, with campaigning due to end on October 4. The case dates to the 2007 anti-land-acquisition movement in Nandigram. The High Court was also told that five of six other cases for which Pradhan had sought protection were withdrawn by the previous state government, while he was not wanted in the sixth.