Wajahat Khan—the man whose complaint led to the arrest of Gurugram-based law student and influencer Sharmistha Panoli—has himself landed behind bars.
Kolkata Police arrested Khan after he went missing on June 1, dodging multiple summons linked to a hate speech case filed against him at Golf Green Police Station.
Khan used his social media platforms to post derogatory and inflammatory content targeting Hindu deities and traditions. A complaint filed by the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad accused him of using sexually explicit language and slurs like “rapist cultures” and “urine drinkers” to describe Hindus, demanding his prosecution under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.
Panoli was arrested on May 30 after a video she posted lashing out at Muslim Bollywood celebrities over their silence on Operation Sindoor went viral. She was booked for using communal and abusive language but later deleted the video and issued a public apology. She has now been granted interim bail with strict conditions.
