Kolkata, 3 June (H.S.): The controversy surrounding the arrest of Sharmistha Panoly over a social media post has taken a dramatic turn, with the man who filed the FIR against her — identified as Wajahat Khan — now reported missing. Khan, alleged to be a radical figure, is himself under fire for making numerous anti-Hindu posts on social media, including derogatory remarks about Hindu deities and temples.
According to reports, Assam Police have filed an FIR against Wajahat Khan for objectionable posts targeting the revered Kamakhya temple. Since then, he has reportedly gone into hiding, with authorities unable to trace his whereabouts.
Wajahat’s father, Saadat Khan, has claimed that his son received multiple threatening phone calls following Panoly’s arrest and suggested that his son’s social media account may have been hacked to frame him. “My son is secular. He cannot insult any religion. He has been mentally disturbed by the threats and harassment,” Saadat said.
Meanwhile, the Sri Ram Swabhiman Parishad has lodged a formal complaint against Wajahat Khan at the Garden Reach police station in Kolkata. The complaint accuses Khan of using inflammatory and derogatory language against the Hindu community. In a letter dated June 2, the organization cited specific terms allegedly used by Khan such as “rapist culture” and “urine drinkers,” claiming he mocked Hindu gods, temples, and festivals. The group demanded action under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act, calling the content communal and provocative.
Sharmistha Panoly was arrested by Kolkata Police on the night of May 30 from Gurugram in connection with a viral video in which she criticized the silence of Bollywood's Muslim celebrities on the Operation Sindoor issue. The video was later deleted, and Panoly issued a public apology. Despite this, she was brought to Kolkata and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Her arrest sparked widespread debate, with several BJP leaders condemning the move as an attack on free speech.
With Wajahat Khan now facing allegations of extremism and reportedly on the run to evade police action in Assam, the case has taken a complex and politically charged dimension.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
