A Correspondent & News Desk input, Guwahati/Kolkata: An Assam Police team has arrived in Kolkata with an arrest warrant for Wajahat Khan, the man who had earlier filed a complaint against social media influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli. However, Khan is currently absconding, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Khan is facing multiple charges for allegedly posting hate-laden and derogatory content on social media, which reportedly hurt religious sentiments. A formal case was registered against him by Assam Police earlier this week. In a separate development, Kolkata Police have also booked him based on a complaint lodged by the Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, according to reports. When police reached Khan’s residence in Kolkata to serve the warrant, he was not found at home. Officials revealed that he is facing multiple cases across different states. The case took a controversial turn after Khan’s original complaint led to the arrest of 22-year-old Sharmishta Panoli, who had posted a video on Instagram that some groups deemed offensive. She was arrested last week from Gurugram, triggering widespread protests and legal debates over freedom of expression. Panoli’s lawyer, Mohammed Shamimuddin, accused police of bypassing standard procedure. “They didn’t even attempt to contact her. Instead, they directly obtained a magistrate’s warrant and made an arrest,” he told NDTV. The handling of the case became a sticking point when a court denied Kolkata Police’s request for Panoli’s custody. Her arrest has ignited a political storm, with the BJP and its allies sharply criticizing the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal. Meanwhile, Panoli remains in 14-day judicial custody. The controversy has drawn global attention. Dutch MP Geert Wilders, known for his hardline views, condemned Panoli’s arrest as a “disgrace for freedom of speech” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene for her release. As the legal and political battle deepens, Khan’s sudden disappearance has added a new twist to the unfolding saga.
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