Kolkata Police Arrest Complainant in Controversial Social Media Case

Arrest of Wajahat Khan Qadri
On Monday, Kolkata Police apprehended Wajahat Khan Qadri, the individual whose allegations led to the detention of 22-year-old law student Sharmishta Panoli. He was arrested for allegedly making 'malicious and inflammatory' comments on social media, according to reports from a local news outlet.
Qadri had been on the run since June 1 and was located in a flat on Amherst Street in Kolkata. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, as reported by the same news outlet.
A complaint against him was filed on June 5, and he has been charged under the same sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as Panoli, which include promoting enmity between groups and making statements intended to provoke public disorder.
Sharmishta Panoli, a fourth-year law and business student from a Pune university, was arrested by Kolkata Police in Gurugram on May 30 for her comments regarding Prophet Muhammad on social media. Following her arrest, she deleted the post and issued an apology on X.
The case against Panoli was initiated based on Qadri's complaints filed on May 15. An arrest warrant was issued for her on May 17, leading to her detention in Gurugram before being brought to Kolkata on a transit remand, where she was remanded to judicial custody until June 13.
On June 5, the Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to Panoli.
In the wake of Panoli's arrest, multiple complaints were lodged against Qadri in West Bengal, including two at the Garden Reach Police Station, for alleged hate speech that offended religious sentiments.
Qadri had previously called for action against Panoli on social media and reportedly celebrated her arrest.
The first complaint against him was filed by the Hindutva group Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad on June 2, accusing him of inciting enmity between religious communities and demanding his arrest for hurting 'Hindu sentiments.'
Additional complaints against Qadri have emerged from various regions, including Mumbai, Delhi, and Assam, for alleged hate speech and derogatory remarks about religious figures. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that an FIR was filed against Qadri for making 'unacceptable comments' about Devi Maa Kamakhya.
A three-member team from the Assam Police had previously visited Qadri's residence in Kolkata's Garden Reach area.
Qadri, aged 30, is a co-founder of the Rashidi Foundation.