Assam Police go to Kolkata to arrest man who filed complaint against Sharmistha Panoli
The police said Wajahat Khan Quadri faces arrest over his posts on social media that contained hate speech and derogatory comments that hurt religious sentiments
An Assam Police team is in Kolkata with an arrest warrant for Wajahat Khan Quadri, the man on whose complaint law student and social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli was arrested.
The police said Khan faces arrest over his posts on social media that contained hate speech and derogatory comments that hurt religious sentiments. The Assam Police filed a case against him earlier this week.
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The Kolkata Police also filed a case against Khan based on a complaint by a trust called Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, reported PTI.
Khan was not at his house when the police went there, who said he is absconding. He faces several cases in other states also.
Wajahat Khan Quadri is the head of the Rashidi Foundation. His family members defended him, claiming that he is "innocent and secular".
Khan’s complaint against Panoli
Wajahat Khan had accused Sharmistha Panoli of sharing a video on social media that allegedly contained hate speech and hurt religious sentiments.
She was arrested from Gurugram last week after her post on Instagram attracted protests.
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Her lawyer Mohammed Shamimuddin alleged that the police bypassed the basic rules of arrest and that she was arrested in a “harakiri manner”.
Political row
Sharmistha’s arrest triggered a political row, with the BJP and its allies attacking the West Bengal government.
She was produced in court and sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
Also Read: From Dutch MP to Pawan Kalyan, right-wing support pours in for Sharmistha Panoli
She received support not only from right-wingers in India but also from far-away Netherlands. Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom said her arrest is a “disgrace for freedom of speech” and she urged PM Modi to make sure she is released from jail.