The man whose complaint led to the arrest of social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli has allegedly gone missing. Wajahat Khan, the complainant in the case, has not been seen since Sunday night, according to his father, Saadat Khan. The family also claims they have been receiving threatening phone calls since Panoli’s arrest.
Panoli was arrested by the Kolkata Police in Gurugram late Friday night, May 30, in connection with a video she posted online. In the video, she used abusive language and made communal remarks targeting Muslim Bollywood celebrities for their silence on Operation Sindoor. The video sparked widespread controversy and backlash.
Following her arrest, Panoli was brought to Kolkata, where she was presented before a magistrate and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The arrest has triggered outrage on social media, with several BJP leaders demanding her immediate release. Panoli has since deleted the video and issued a public apology.
Wajahat Khan, whose complaint prompted the arrest, has allegedly been receiving abusive and threatening phone calls. His father, Saadat Khan, told Aaj Tak in an interview that his son is "innocent and secular" and could not have insulted Hinduism. He suggested that Wajahat’s social media account may have been hacked and claimed the young man had become mentally distressed due to the barrage of abuse and threats accusing him of destroying Panoli’s life. Saadat Khan also said he had personally received threatening and abusive calls.
Amid this development, the Kolkata Police has received a formal complaint against Wajahat Khan. The complaint was lodged by the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad and accuses Khan of making derogatory, inflammatory remarks against the Hindu community on social media. The letter, dated June 2 and addressed to the Officer-in-Charge of Garden Reach Police Station, demands that an FIR be registered against Khan under sections 196(1)(a), 299, 352, 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections 66A and 67 of the Information Technology Act.
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According to the complaint, Khan allegedly used terms like “rapist cultures” and “urine drinkers” to describe Hindus. It also accuses him of using vulgar, sexually explicit language against Hindu deities, mocking Hindu religious practices, temples, and festivals. The letter alleges that Khan’s posts were designed to incite communal disharmony, disrupt public peace, and promote enmity between different religious communities. The Parishad has called for swift legal action to avoid any further unrest.
In response to the backlash over Panoli's arrest, the Kolkata Police issued a statement defending their actions, asserting that “hate speech and abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech and expression.” As the situation develops, both Wajahat Khan’s alleged disappearance and the communal tensions surrounding the case remain under close scrutiny.
Also Read: Influencer held over 'communal post' on Op Sindoor, sent to JC
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