The case of social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli has taken a surprising turn. Two complaints have been filed against the main complainant, Wajahat Khan Qadri Rashidi, with the Kolkata Police. He is accused of making derogatory remarks against Maa Kamakhya and Lord Krishna. However, Lalbazar Police Headquarters has yet to convert this complaint into an FIR.
This complaint has been made by Subodh Das, the district president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha North Kolkata. He accused Wajahat Khan under sections 196(1)(A), 299, 352, and 353(1)(C) of the Indian Penal Code for hurting religious sentiments. He stated that such speech is hateful and cannot be considered a part of the freedom of expression granted by Article 19(1)(A) of the Indian Constitution.
Meanwhile, an exclusive report by India Today has located Wajahat Khan's residence. According to the report, Wajahat has been missing since last night. His father, Saadat Khan, told us, 'My son is innocent and secular. He cannot insult Hinduism. We have been receiving threats since Sharmistha's arrest. His social media profile was hacked. Respect should be given to all religions.'
Social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli was arrested over a (now-deleted) video. In this video, Sharmistha criticized some Bollywood stars for their silence over 'Operation Sindoor'. It is alleged that she used objectionable language against a particular community, which hurt religious sentiments and sparked controversy.
After deleting the video, Sharmistha Panoli offered an unconditional apology. Nevertheless, Kolkata Police registered an FIR against her. The FIR alleges that she committed serious offenses like inciting hatred on religious grounds, provoking religious sentiments, and making derogatory comments with the intent to disturb peace.
