KOLKATA: The officer-in-charge (OC) of Kalighat Police Station has been changed again on Sunday, barely 24 hours after the previous officer took charge on Saturday.
Chameli Mukherjee, OC of Ultadanga Women’s Police Station, was appointed to the post on Saturday, replacing Gautam Das. However, within 24 hours, that order was revoked, and Balai Bag, the additional OC of Polerhat Police Station under the Bhangar division of Kolkata Police, was appointed as the new OC of Kalighat.
Ajay Nand, Commissioner of Police (CP) of Kolkata, appointed Bag to the post.
With this latest change, Kalighat Police Station has had four OCs in the past 36 days.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has carried out large-scale reshuffles in Kolkata and West Bengal police, transferring several officers after the announcement of Assembly election dates on 15 March in Delhi.
The first change in the post of OC of Kalighat was made on 29 March. The second change took place on 25 April, when controversial officer Gautam Das was appointed as OC of Kalighat.
On Saturday, Das was suspended by Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, after a controversial social media post surfaced, triggering a row just days before the announcement of counting for elections to 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal on 4 May.
Chameli Mukherjee, who had earlier served as OC of Ultadanga Police Station, had taken over as OC of Kalighat Police Station before the latest reversal.
Das had shared a picture on social media showing him holding a modern firearm with the caption “ready for new assignment” during the ongoing election period. The photograph was posted on his Facebook and WhatsApp status.
The post was brought to the attention of the Election Commission by Trinamool Congress state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar, who also shared the image on X and lodged a complaint with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, and the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata.
Majumdar described the image as “alarming and objectionable from a legal standpoint”, stating that it showed a police officer aiming a modern weapon, which raised serious concerns.
He added that clear guidelines prohibit police personnel from posting photographs in uniform on social media and questioned whether the firearm was officially issued and whether the officer was trained to use it. He also called for an impartial probe, alleging that such posts could amount to intimidation.
The controversy gained traction shortly after Das took charge ahead of the second phase and final phase of polling in 142 Assembly seats across seven districts, including Kolkata, held on 29 April. The first phase of polling in 152 seats across 16 districts was conducted on 23 April.
He was previously posted in the Special Branch of Kolkata Police. With vote counting imminent, his removal has drawn attention in administrative circles, particularly given the frequent changes at Kalighat Police Station.
