Kolkata, May 2 (IANS) Kolkata Police on Saturday suspended Kalighat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Gautam Das following a “controversy” over his social media status. ​

Chameli Mukherjee has been given the responsibility in his place. Gautam recently found himself in a social media controversy after he shared a photograph of himself holding a machine gun. Last night, the Trinamool Congress drew the Election Commission’s attention by claiming that the photograph was ‘objectionable’.​

The photograph released by Trinamool shows Gautam sitting on his chair in the police station with a sophisticated gun in his hand. He is wearing a police uniform. Trinamool also claimed that Gautam himself posted the photograph on his Facebook and WhatsApp status.​

Trinamool state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar posted the photograph on Friday. He said that the country’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Agrawal, and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, Ajay Nand, have been informed of this matter by letter.​

Jay Prakash claimed that Gautam posted his picture with the caption, ‘Ready for new responsibility.’ He also gave a Facebook ID in his X post. However, the post of that ID has been deleted.​

According to the Trinamool leader, “Such pictures are not only uncomfortable but also highly objectionable in the eyes of the law.” He added that it is clear from the picture that he is targeting someone with a sophisticated gun.​

Apart from this, the Trinamool questioned whether the firearms the Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station is holding have been allocated to him at all.​

According to officials in Kolkata Police, Gautam has been suspended due to the gun incident.​

The Election Commission changed the Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station ahead of the second phase of voting. However, before that, the Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station had been changed once on March 29. Utpal Ghosh, of the Intelligence Department of the Kolkata Police, was appointed Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station. ​

Within a month of that appointment, the Commission removed Utpal. Gautam was made the new Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station in his place. He was in the Special Branch of Kolkata Police. This time, Gautam has been suspended.​

–IANS

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