Kolkata Police Suspend Kalighat Officer Over Firearm Photo Amid Multiple Transfers
18 minutes agoPolitics
38LENS
9 SourcesKolkata, India
TBNthebalanced.news

Kolkata Police Suspend Kalighat Officer Over Firearm Photo Amid Multiple Transfers

The Kolkata Police suspended Gautam Das, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kalighat Police Station, after he posted a photo on social media showing him in uniform holding a firearm with the caption "ready for new assignment." The Trinamool Congress (TMC) lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), citing violations of police social media guidelines and concerns over the image's threatening nature. Das was replaced by Chameli Mukhopadhyay, who was soon succeeded by Balai Bag amid multiple OC transfers at Kalighat during the West Bengal Assembly elections. The EC and police have conducted several reshuffles to maintain law and order in this politically sensitive area where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee contests.

Political Bias
53%40%7%
Sentiment
36%
AI analysis of 9 sources · Published under editorial oversight by The Balanced News
Analysed 3 May 2026· How this analysis is produced· Editorial standards· Corrections

AI Analysis

Political bias across 9 sources
● Left 53%● Center 40%● Right 7%

The article group presents perspectives mainly from official police sources and the Trinamool Congress, highlighting administrative actions and political concerns. The TMC's complaint and statements emphasize legal and procedural violations, while police responses focus on disciplinary measures. The coverage reflects the politically charged environment of West Bengal elections, with attention to the sensitivity of the Kalighat area, but does not include viewpoints from opposition parties or independent observers.

Sentiment — Neutral (36/100)

The overall tone across the articles is neutral to critical, focusing on the procedural response to the controversial social media post. The coverage underscores concerns about police conduct and election-related tensions without sensationalizing the incident. The suspension and multiple transfers are reported factually, with emphasis on maintaining law and order, reflecting a cautious and measured sentiment.

How 9 sources covered this story

Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.

SourceTheir headlineBiasSentiment
theprintWB polls: Police station in Kolkata gets second OC in 2 days after officer benched for WhatsApp postLeftNeutral
thetribuneWB polls: Police station in Kolkata gets second OC in 2 days after officer benched for WhatsApp post - The TribuneLeftNeutral
thetelegraphKalighat police station OC changed again, fourth time since Bengal poll schedule announcedCenterNeutral
thestatesmanKolkata Police suspend Kalighat SHO Goutam Das over viral gun photo, Chameli Mukherjee appointed new officer-in-chargeLeftNeutral
news18Bengal Cop Suspended Over Gun Photo on Social Media Election Tensions Rise West Bengal News18LeftNegative
republicworldKalighat OC Gautam Das Suspended Over Viral Gun PhotoCenterNeutral
thetelegraphKolkata police station officer-in-charge suspended over controversial social media photo, Chameli Mukhopadhyay takes chargeLeftNegative
indianexpressEC transfers Kalighat Police Station officer-in-charge, third time since Bengal poll schedule was declaredLeftNeutral
thestatesmanKolkata Police suspends officer-in-charge of Kalighat station over firearm postLeftNeutral

Coverage timeline

thestatesman broke this story on 2 May, 12:04 pm. Other outlets followed.

  1. 1
    thestatesman2 May, 12:04 pm
    Kolkata Police suspends officer-in-charge of Kalighat station over firearm post
  2. 2
    indianexpress2 May, 12:20 pm
    EC transfers Kalighat Police Station officer-in-charge, third time since Bengal poll schedule was declared
  3. 3
    thetelegraph2 May, 12:44 pm
    Kolkata police station officer-in-charge suspended over controversial social media photo, Chameli Mukhopadhyay takes charge
  4. 4
    republicworld2 May, 01:54 pm
    Kalighat OC Gautam Das Suspended Over Viral Gun Photo
  5. 5
    news183 May, 01:48 am
    Bengal Cop Suspended Over Gun Photo on Social Media Election Tensions Rise West Bengal News18
  6. 6
    thestatesman3 May, 09:25 am
    Kolkata Police suspend Kalighat SHO Goutam Das over viral gun photo, Chameli Mukherjee appointed new officer-in-charge
  7. 7
    thetelegraph3 May, 10:05 am
    Kalighat police station OC changed again, fourth time since Bengal poll schedule announced
  8. 8
    thetribune3 May, 11:21 am
    WB polls: Police station in Kolkata gets second OC in 2 days after officer benched for WhatsApp post - The Tribune
  9. 9
    theprint3 May, 11:26 am
    WB polls: Police station in Kolkata gets second OC in 2 days after officer benched for WhatsApp post

Lens Score breakdown

38/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap90%

Story is receiving appropriate media attention relative to public interest.

Accountability flags

TBN's analysis identified the following accountability dimensions in this story.

  • abuse of power

    This story involves alleged misuse of official authority or institutional position to achieve personal or political ends.

Who's involved

Institutions and figures named across source coverage.

Government
Kolkata PoliceKolkata Police HeadquartersChief Election CommissionerChief Electoral OfficerElection CommissionKolkata Police CommissionerGovernment of India
Political
Trinamool Congress
Enforcement
Kolkata Police

Story context

Category
Politics
Location
Kolkata, India
Sources analysed
9
Last analysed
3 May 2026
Key entities
Kolkata PoliceKalighatTrinamool CongressUltadangaPolice stationChief ministerMamata BanerjeeGovernment of IndiaSocial mediaWest BengalBengalFacebook