Man Who Filed Complaint Against Sharmistha Panoli Goes Missing Amid Death Threats, Claims Father
The man who filed the police complaint that led to the arrest of social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli has allegedly gone missing since Sunday night, with his family claiming they have been receiving threatening phone calls ever since Panoli’s arrest, according to his father.
Wajahat Khan, whose complaint resulted in Panoli’s arrest by Kolkata Police over a controversial video with communal remarks, has not been seen since Sunday night, his father Saadat Khan told media outlets on Monday.
“My son is innocent and secular. He cannot insult Hinduism. We have been receiving threats since Sharmistha’s arrest,” Saadat Khan said in an interview with Aaj Tak, India Today’s sister channel.
According to the father, Wajahat was deeply disturbed by the flood of abusive and threatening calls he received in recent days, with callers accusing him of ruining Panoli’s life. Saadat Khan also reported receiving similar threatening calls and verbal abuse.
The family suggested that Wajahat’s social media profile may have been hacked when responding to questions about a counter-complaint filed against him for allegedly insulting the Hindu religion.
The developments come as Kolkata Police received a formal complaint against Wajahat Khan from the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad, accusing him of making derogatory and inflammatory remarks against the Hindu community on social media platforms.
The complaint, dated June 2 and addressed to the Officer-in-Charge of Garden Reach Police Station, urges police to register an FIR against Khan under sections 196(1)(a), 299, 352, 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and sections 66A and 67 of the IT Act.
The letter alleges that Khan made offensive remarks using terms such as “rapist cultures” and “urine drinkers” to describe Hindus, and used vulgar language targeting Hindu deities while mocking religious traditions, temples, and festivals.
A case has already been registered against Khan in Assam over his alleged social media posts. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a police team from the state would visit West Bengal to seek assistance in bringing Wajahat Khan to justice.
The complaint accuses Khan of spreading content aimed at inciting communal tensions, disrupting public peace, and promoting enmity between religious groups.
Sharmistha Panoli, a law student and social media influencer, was arrested late Friday night on May 30 in Gurugram and brought to Kolkata, where she was presented before a magistrate and sent to 14-day judicial custody.
Her arrest followed a complaint lodged at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15, based on a video where she used abusive language and made communal remarks criticizing Muslim Bollywood celebrities for remaining silent on “Operation Sindoor.”
The controversial video was later deleted, and Panoli issued a public apology. However, her arrest sparked outrage on Sunday, with several BJP leaders calling for her release.
