Wajahat Khan — the man whose FIR led to influencer Sharmishtha Panoli’s arrest — has now been arrested himself.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This is Vajahat Khan, the man whose complaint had led to the arrest of influencer and law student
00:09Sharmishta Panoli on Me 30, 2025. Days later, on June 9, 2025, Khan was arrested for allegedly
00:16posting hate speech targeting Hindu gods, festivals like holy and religious traditions.
00:21Soon after Panoli's arrest, Khan's old posts came under the scanner. An FIR was filed at
00:25golf-free police station, charging him under hate speech laws and the IT Act. Three summons
00:30were sent, but Khan didn't show up. Khan's father told India today that he hadn't returned
00:34home and the family had received threatening calls accusing them of ruining Panoli's life.
00:42Khan further claimed Vajahat was innocent and secular, alleging his profile was hacked,
00:47insisting his son could never insult any religion. Ironically, it was Khan's complaint that had
00:51triggered Panoli's arrest after she posted a video using abusive language and communal remarks
00:56against Muslim Bollywood actors over their silence on Operation Sindhur. Panoli later deleted the post
01:01and issued a public apology. Panoli was sent to 14-day custody and later released on interim
01:06bail with conditions including a 10,000 rupee bond and a travel ban. FYI, while denying her interim
01:11bail in May, the court had remarked, freedom of speech is not absolute and cannot be used to hurt
01:16religious sentiments.