Sharmistha Panoli Arrest: Man Who Filed Case Against 22-Year-Old Social Media Influencer Goes Missing Amid Threats, Claims His Father
Kolkata: The man who filed a complaint against social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli has allegedly gone missing. As per Wajahat Khan's family, he has not been seen since Sunday night. Khan's family also alleged that he had been receiving threatening calls after Panoli's arrest, reported India Today.
"My son is innocent and secular. He cannot insult Hinduism. We have been receiving threats since Sharmistha's arrest," Wajahat Khan's father Saadat Khan told Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, in an interview.
As per Wajahat Khan's father, his son was disturbed by a flood of abusive messages and threatening calls in the past few days. Saadat Khan also said that he also received abusive messages.
Notably, the Kolkata Police received a formal complaint against Wajahat Khan on June 2. The complaint was filed by the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad. The organisation alleged that Wajahat Khan had made derogatory and inflammatory remarks against the Hindus on social media platforms.
Video Of Panoli When Brought To Kolkata:
In the complaint, it was requested file an FIR against Wajahat Khan under relevant sections, including 196(1)(a), 299, 352, 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and sections 66A and 67 of the IT Act, reported India Today. The complainant also alleged that Wajahat Khan made derogatory remarks against Hindus by using terms like "rapist cultures" and "urine drinkers". It was also alleged that Wajahat Khan used sexually explicit language to target Hindu deities.
Meanwhile, a case has also been filed against Wajahat Khan in Assam over his alleged post against Hindus. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a team of state police would visit West Bengal to arrest the complainant in the Sharmistha Panoli case.
Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurugram on May 30 for allegedly making communal remarks while replying to a post on Operation Sindoor. After backlash, Panoli deleted the video. She also apologised for her comments.
"I do hereby tender my UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY whatever was put are my personal feelings and i never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody so if anybody is hurt I’m sorry for the same. I expect co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, i will be cautious in my public post. Again please accept my apologies," she had said in her X post.
Rejecting claims that Panoli was arrested “unlawfully”, Kolkata Police stated that due procedures were followed.
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