The man whose complaint led to the arrest of social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli in Gurugram on May 30 has now been arrested by Kolkata Police. Wajahat Khan, who had allegedly been evading authorities since June 1, was apprehended after a series of police raids. Despite multiple summons issued to his residence in Garden Reach, Khan failed to appear for questioning in connection with a case registered at Golf Green Police Station for allegedly spreading hate speech and hurting religious sentiments online.
The controversy began after Panoli posted a video using abusive and communal language, criticising Muslim Bollywood celebrities for their silence on Operation Sindoor. The video triggered outrage, leading to her arrest and a 14-day judicial custody. Although she later deleted the video and issued a public apology, the incident had already escalated tensions. After her arrest, Khan reportedly went missing, with his father stating that the family was receiving threatening calls blaming them for Panoli’s situation.
Khan’s own legal troubles deepened when the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad filed a complaint against him on June 2. The letter, addressed to the Officer-in-Charge at Garden Reach Police Station, accused Khan of making derogatory, sexually explicit, and inflammatory remarks against Hindu deities and traditions on social media. It alleged that he used terms like “rapist cultures” and “urine drinkers” while referring to the Hindu community, demanding action under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.
Meanwhile, Sharmistha Panoli was granted interim bail under strict conditions. She has been barred from leaving the country without prior approval from the Chief Judicial Magistrate and was directed to deposit a bail sum of ₹10,000. The court emphasized that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it is not absolute and cannot be used to hurt the religious sentiments of any community.
