Bengal: Former Kalighat PS OC sent to state secretariat after suspension row
Kolkata, May 27 (IANS) In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections, the then Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station, Gautam Das, was involved in a photo controversy and was subsequently suspended. He has been ordered to report to the state secretariat, Nabanna, government officials said on Wednesday.
He has been given a posting at the state secretariat. He is currently working in the South Division of Kolkata Police after his suspension.
Kolkata Police suspended then Kalighat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Gautam Das following a controversy over his social media status. He became embroiled in controversy after sharing a photograph of himself holding a machine gun.
The Trinamool Congress had drawn the attention of the Election Commission, claiming that the photograph was “objectionable”.
The photograph released by Trinamool showed Gautam sitting on his chair in the police station with a sophisticated gun in his hand. He was wearing a police uniform.
Trinamool also claimed that Gautam himself had posted the photograph on his Facebook and WhatsApp status.
Trinamool state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar posted the photograph on social media and brought it to the notice of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the state’s then Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agrawal, and Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand.
Following the controversy, Kolkata Police suspended him.
It is worth mentioning that the OC of Kalighat police station was changed repeatedly in the wake of the Assembly elections.
The first time the OC of Kalighat was changed was on March 29. Utpal Ghosh of the Intelligence Department of Kolkata Police was brought to this post. The Commission removed Utpal within a month of his appointment.
On April 25, Gautam was made the new OC of Kalighat. At that time, he was in the Special Branch of Kolkata Police.
Later, the OC of Kalighat police station was changed twice more.
–IANS
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