Who Is Wazahat Khan, The Man Behind Sharmishta Panoli's Arrest Booked Over Hate Speech?

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Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 22:10 IST

Wazahat Khan, who filed the complaint that led to the arrest of influencer Sharmishta Panoli in connection with an objectionable post, was booked for alleged hate speech.

The Kolkata Police has now registered a case against Wazahat Khan, the man responsible for filing the complaint that led to social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli’s arrest, for allegedly delivering “hate speech" and hurting religious sentiments.

Panoli, a 22-year-old law student and social media influencer, was arrested by Kolkata Police in Haryana’s Gurugram after a complaint was filed at the Garden Reach Police Station, alleging that she had promoted communal disharmony via controversial remarks in a now-deleted post linked to Operation Sindoor.

Khan, who was responsible for Panoli’s arrest, had allegedly made derogatory and offensive remarks against Hindu deities and traditions on social media platforms. At least four videos have been filed against Khan, including in Guwahati and Delhi.

Who Is Wazahat Khan?

As per his Facebook profile, the accused’s full name is Wazahat Khan Qadri Rashidi, a native of Kolkata. As the controversy arose, he locked his profile, which only showed that he was a graduate of St. Thomas’ School in Kolkata.

He is reportedly the co-founder of the Rashidi Foundation in Kolkata, which filed the complaint against Panoli. After people scanned his social media accounts, it was found that he had posted hate speech targeting the Hindu community, including derogatory remarks on Hindu festivals, deities and temples. He had also posted several messages demanding and celebrating Panoli’s arrest.

Based on his abusive posts, two criminal complaints were lodged in the national capital for communal provocation aimed at disturbing social harmony. The Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad also filed a complaint, accusing Khan of mocking Hindu traditions, festivals and temples to incite communal tensions.

It has come to light that Khan started deleting several of his controversial social media posts as Panoli’s arrest led to increased scrutiny on his accounts.

Wazahat Khan ‘Missing’ After Panoli’s Arrest

Meanwhile, Wazahat Khan’s father has said that he had not been since last Sunday, and the family had been receiving threatening calls since Panoli’s arrest. Saadaq Khan, the complainant’s father, told Aaj Tak that he had been receiving threatening calls.

“My son is innocent and secular. He cannot insult Hinduism. We have been receiving threats since Sharmistha’s arrest," he said, adding that his son’s profile may have been hacked. Saadaq Khan also said he and his son had been verbally abused since the arrest.

Sharmishta Panoli was arrested on Friday (May 30) in Gurugram by Kolkata Police and sent to judicial custody till June 13 for allegedly making communal remarks in a now-deleted video linked to Operation Sindoor. She had issued a public apology for her remarks.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

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