Man behind influencer Sharmistha Panoli's arrest, arrested by Kolkata Police

Wajahat Khan, the man whose police complaint led to the arrest of social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli, has himself been taken into custody by Kolkata Police on charges of hate speech and outraging religious sentiments. Khan was arrested after evading authorities since June 1, despite repeated summons.

The arrest follows a complaint filed at Kolkata’s Golf Green Police Station, accusing Khan of disseminating inflammatory content through social media, including remarks that allegedly insulted religious beliefs and targeted the Hindu community. Kolkata Police confirmed that three summons were served at Khan’s Garden Reach residence, but he failed to appear, prompting a search operation that culminated in his arrest.

Khan had earlier filed a complaint against Panoli, leading to her arrest in Gurugram on May 30. Panoli faced backlash after posting a video containing communal remarks and abusive language, specifically targeting Muslim Bollywood celebrities for their perceived silence on Operation Sindoor. The video was later deleted, and Panoli issued a public apology. She was remanded to 14-day judicial custody following her arrest by Kolkata Police.

After Panoli’s arrest, Khan reportedly went missing. His father, Saadat Khan, told the media that his son had not returned home and that the family was receiving threatening calls blaming them for "ruining Panoli’s life."

In a parallel development, a formal complaint was filed against Khan on June 2 by the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad, accusing him of using derogatory, sexually explicit, and inflammatory language against Hindu deities and traditions. The complaint, addressed to the Officer-in-Charge of Garden Reach Police Station, claimed Khan made communal slurs such as "rapist cultures" and "urine drinkers" in reference to Hindus, and demanded legal action under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

While Panoli has been granted interim bail with restrictions including a travel ban without judicial permission and a security deposit of ₹10,000, the controversy surrounding both figures continues to escalate.

Simultaneously, a team from Assam Police is stationed in West Bengal seeking custody of Khan, who allegedly made derogatory comments against Goddess Kamakhya and other Hindu deities in separate social media posts.