Wajahat Khan, whose complaint led to the arrest of law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli, has been booked by the Kolkata Police for hate speech for his alleged communal posts on social media. He, however, has been absconding, said police.
Sources in Kolkata Police said the 30-year-old, who is the co-founder of the Rashidi Foundation, has been booked under the same sections of the BNS as Panoli – 196(1) (a) promoting enmity between different groups, 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens), 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace), and 353(1)(c)(which deals with statements that incite public mischief).
The FIR has been filed at the Golf Green police station based on a complaint of one Sujit Ghosh.
After Khan’s complaint led to the arrest of 22-year-old Panoli on May 30 for alleged hate and communal posts, at least five complaints have been filed against him in West Bengal—two at the Garden Reach police station, one at the Metiabruz police station, one by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to the Police Commissioner of Asansol Durgapur Commissionerate, and one at Jetia police station.
The complaints against Khan accuse him of posting “hate speech” on social media and making derogatory remarks that hurt religious sentiments.
Khan, whose X account is locked, had allegedly posted messages demanding action against Panoli and later celebrating her arrest.
Meanwhile, a senior officer in Kolkata Police said Assam Police and Delhi Police are also looking for him. According to sources a three-member team of Assam Police visited the area where Khan resides.
This comes a day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a case has been registered against Khan for allegedly making “unacceptable comments against Devi Maa Kamakhya”. “A case has been registered against him. So, our police will go to West Bengal and we will request the government of West Bengal to hand him over to Assam. But how much cooperation the government of West Bengal gives us, only time will tell,” Sarma had said on Tuesday.
According to police sources, Khan was last seen in his locality on Sunday. “Since then, his whereabouts remain unknown, and no missing person report has been filed by his family. Delhi Police and Assam Police are also actively looking for him,” said a police officer.
The first complaint against Khan was filed by a Hindu outfit, Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, at Garden Reach police station on June 2. The group alleged that Khan’s posts promoted enmity between religious groups and could incite public disorder. Suraj Kumar Singh, secretary of the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad, said, “We demand the arrest of Wajahat Khan for making hurtful and demeaning posts that hurt Hindu sentiments.”
Panoli, meanwhile, who was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurgaon, is currently in judicial custody till June 13. Her interim bail plea was rejected by the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. Rejecting her application, the single bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee observed that freedom of speech and expression doesn’t mean one can go on hurting others”.
With ENS, Guwahati