Sanjay Dixit, a Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer, has been summoned by the Kolkata Police over a tweet that falsely claimed the West Bengal government had issued an extended Eid holiday notification.

Dixit, who is currently posted as commissioner, departmental inquiries, in Jaipur, is accused of tweeting (now deleted) a fake notification doing the rounds of social media in which it was claimed that the state government had declared Eid holidays from 12-15 June in addition to 16 June – the day of Eid. The state government had declared only 16 June as public holiday.

The fake notification went around in what looked like a letterhead of the West Bengal Finance Department, which also carried the Biswa Bangla logo.

While the state government has only declared June 16 as a public holiday for Eid, the fake notification read: “In order to celebrate Eid festival, which falls on 12 June to 15 June, 2018, in a befitting manner, the Governor is pleased to declare state government holiday on 12 to 15 June, 2018, in addition to 16 June, 2018, which has already been notified as a public holiday.”

The notification, which bore the purported signature of Additional Secretary Rajsekhar Bandyopadhyay, added: “All state government offices including educational institutions, rural and urban local bodies, development authorities, boards, corporations and state government undertakings shall remain closed on those five days.”

According to reports, Dixit posted the tweet containing the fake notification even after the Kolkata police thrashed the notification as fake. The police had on 10 June also warned those spreading the rumours of strict action.

“A fake notification is doing the rounds in social media about Eid Holidays. It is false. Those who have masterminded this will be strictly dealt with as per law,” the Kolkata Police wrote on its official Twitter handle while sharing a screenshot of the false notification.

Read More: Kolkata Police to probe fake Eid holiday notification

Dixit has been summoned to appear before the police on 29 June.

“Dixit has been asked to appear before them on June 29. We have issued notice well in advance,” said Kolkata Police Joint CP (crime) Praveen Tripathi. The police says they would move court if the IAS officer evaded the summons.