Man Who Filed Complaint Against Sharmistha Panoli Now Faces Charges

The Kolkata Police have taken a significant step. They booked the man who complained against Sharmistha Panoli. This led to her arrest. Panoli is a 22-year-old law student. She was arrested for posting harmful content on social media.

Complainant on the Run

The man is Wajahat Khan Qadri. He is 30 years old. Currently, he is absconding. A police officer stated, “We have started an investigation into the case.”

Charges Faced by Qadri

Qadri faces serious charges. These are under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The charges include:

• Creating hatred between groups
• Hurting religious feelings on purpose
• Insulting to cause trouble
• Making statements that cause public mischief

Panoli’s Arrest and Apology

Panoli is a student of business and law. She studies in Pune. The Kolkata Police arrested her in Gurugram on May 30. Her arrest was due to her social media remarks about Prophet Muhammad. She later deleted the post. She also apologized on X.

Legal Steps Taken

A case was filed against Panoli. This was based on Qadri’s complaint at Kolkata’s Garden Reach Police Station on May 15. A warrant was issued against her on May 17. She was arrested in Gurugram. Then, she was brought to Kolkata. She is now in judicial custody until June 13.

The Calcutta High Court refused her interim bail on Tuesday.

Complaints Against Qadri

After Panoli’s arrest, five complaints were filed against Qadri in West Bengal. These complaints include hate speech and derogatory remarks on social media. Two of these were filed at the Garden Reach Police Station.

Qadri had demanded action against Panoli on social media. He later celebrated her arrest.

FIR and More Complaints

An FIR was registered against Qadri. This was based on a complaint by Sujit Ghosh at the Golf Green Police Station.

The first complaint against Qadri was filed by Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad on June 2. They alleged that Qadri’s posts created hatred between religious groups. They demanded his arrest for hurting “Hindu sentiments.”

More complaints have been filed against Qadri in Mumbai, Delhi, and Assam. These complaints allege hate speech and derogatory remarks against religious deities on social media.

Police Are Investigating

The Assam Police and Delhi Police are also looking for Qadri. A team from the Assam Police visited Qadri’s area in Kolkata’s Garden Reach.

Qadri is the co-founder of the Rashidi Foundation.