Sharmishta Panoli row: Wajahat Khan Qadri, the man who filed case against influencer, arrested in Kolkata
Despite the police serving Khan three notices at his Garden Reach residence and directing him to appear for questioning, he remained on the run until his arrest.
The Kolkata Police on Monday arrested Wajahat Khan Qadri, the man who filed a case against social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli, reported India Today.
According to the Kolkata Police, Khan's police complaint led to the arrest of the social media influencer. Khan was allegedly on the run since 1 June after a series of raids.
Earlier, a case was registered against Wajahat Khan at the Golf Green Police Station in Kolkata for allegedly spreading hate speech and hurting religious sentiments via his social media activity.
Despite the police serving Khan three notices at his Garden Reach residence and directing him to appear for questioning, he remained on the run until his arrest.
Khan's arrest comes amid mounting controversy over Panoli's arrest, who was held from Gurugram on 30 May by Kolkata Police, following a controversial video she posted on social media which drew strong reactions.
In the video, she allegedly criticised Bollywood celebrities for staying silent on Operation Sindoor. After intense trolling and threats in the comments, Panoli removed the video and issued a public apology on 15 May.
Panoli gets bail
On 5 June, the Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to influencer Sharmistha Panoli and directed her to furnish a bail bond of ₹10,000.
Earlier on 3 June, the Calcutta High Court had rejected the interim bail plea of Panoli.
Complaint against Wajahat Khan
On 2 June, Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad filed a formal complaint against Wajahat Khan with the Kolkata Police, accusing him of using derogatory, inflammatory, and sexually explicit language targeting Hindu deities, religious traditions, and the community at large.
In the letter to the Officer-in-Charge of the Garden Reach Police Station, Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad alleged that Khan in his social media posts referred Hindus by using terms including "rapist cultures" and "urine drinkers".
The Hindu body requested the police to take action against Khan under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
They added that Khan's posts were intended to incite communal tensions and disturb public order.
With agency inputs.
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