india

Updated: Oct 20, 2019 17:06 IST

A Congress leader in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district has landed in jail after he uploaded a photo of him worshipping an illegal country-made gun on Vijaya Dashami to Facebook.

Police arrested Congress’ West Singhbhum district’s treasurer Radha Mohan Banerjee in Chaibasa on Friday night from his house after a raid, officials said on Sunday.

The illegal country-made gun, a licensed double-barrel gun and bullets have been seized, they added.

Banerjee was sent to jail on Saturday after being produced in a local court.

“We had information of Banerjee possessing a country-made pistol illegally and his photo of worshipping weapons on Facebook confirmed the same,” Amar Kumar Pandey, Chaibasa sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), said while speaking to HT.

He said a case has been lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and arms act on the basis of a complaint by Chaibasa police station officer-in-charge (OC) Sunil Tiwari, who lead the raid.

Pandey also said they will send a recommendation to the West Singhbhum’s deputy commissioner (DC) Arava Rajkamal for cancelling the license of Banerjee’s double-barrel gun.

“His arms license is valid till 2020 but in the wake of the seizure of illegal gun from his possession, we will recommend the cancellation of his license,” he added.

Banerjee, who is the also Congress’ district industry and traders’ wing president, had obtained the license for his double-barrel gun in 2011 when lived in Tonto, Jhinkpani.

Congress’ West Singhbhum district unit president Sunny Sinku was guarded in his response and said he was not aware of the details in the matter.

Sinku said he was busy with the party’s divisional meeting in Jagannathpur where Congress’ Jan Akrosh Rally is scheduled on October 23.

“Opposition leaders and workers are being trapped in trivial cases and sent to jail but I will make any comment only after consulting our party working president in-charge of Kolhan Keshav Mahato Kamlesh,” Sinku said.