Wajahat Khan, Who Got Sharmishta Panoli Arrested, Goes 'Missing'; Faces FIRs In 3 States

Kolkata man Wajahat Khan, on whose complaint the 22-year-old Pune-based law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested, has reportedly gone "missing", according to his father.

While Panoli was taken into custody by Kolkata Police on Friday, Khan now finds himself at the heart of a political row and legal turmoil.

Photo Credit: X

According to India Today, FIRs have been registered against him in at least three Indian states, with Assam preparing to send a police team to nab him.

Law enforcement agencies in West Bengal, Assam, and Delhi have either filed FIRs or launched probes against Khan.

He allegedly went into hiding after receiving a torrent of threats and abusive phone calls, according to his father, Saadat Khan. A police team from Dispur, Assam, is expected to travel to West Bengal in pursuit of Khan.

Who is Wajahat Khan?

Khan is reportedly the General Secretary of the Rashidi Foundation, a Kolkata-based organisation that originally lodged the complaint against Sharmishta Panoli. However, the Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, a charitable trust, on Tuesday filed an FIR against Khan at the Garden Reach Police Station - the very same station where he had earlier filed his complaint.

In their police report, the Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad alleged that Khan had posted "malicious and inflammatory" content on social media platforms that were "intentionally directed toward the Hindu community, its sacred beliefs, and revered deities."

The FIR application, undersigned by the Parishad's secretary, further claimed that Khan used "derogatory and sexually explicit language against Sanatani scriptures and deities like Krishna."

The group demanded swift legal action, arguing, "just as the Kolkata Police actively travelled over 1,500 kilometres to arrest Sharmishta Panoli, Khan, a resident of the Garden Reach area, should be held accountable with equal urgency," adding that "the law must be equal for everyone."

Public details about Wajahat Khan are sparse, apart from his role in this ongoing case and his controversial social media activity, which is now under heavy scrutiny.

The X account said to belong to Khan is now locked, and his associated Facebook profile appears to be either deleted or deactivated, as of the afternoon of 3 June.

The FIR requests the application of several legal provisions against Khan:

Section 196(1)(a) (promoting enmity on religious grounds),

Section 299 (outraging religious feelings),

Section 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace),

Section 353(1)(c) (inciting public mischief),

Sections 66A and 67 of the Information Technology Act, for disseminating offensive and obscene material online.

Legal fallout surrounding Khan

Wajahat Khan came under the national spotlight after he filed a complaint against Sharmishta Panoli, which led to her arrest and a barrage of threats directed at her.

His complaint was reportedly based on a video posted by Panoli, which he claimed "promoted communal disharmony and insulted religious sentiments."

Although Panoli deleted the video and issued an apology, the clip had included comments about Muslim Bollywood celebrities and Islamic beliefs. The backlash was swift, with AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan among those calling for her arrest.

On 30 May, Kolkata Police arrested Panoli from Gurugram, following Khan's initial complaint made on 15 May. Her arrest sparked political backlash, with BJP leaders accusing authorities of "selective enforcement." However, Kolkata Police defended the move, saying it was a lawful response to hate speech.

"Wajahat Khan is innocent and secular," says his father

Khan, now under legal fire himself for allegedly posting offensive content about Hindu deities and traditions, has not been seen since Sunday night, his father claimed.

Saadat Khan said the family had been bombarded with threatening calls following Panoli's arrest, and asserted his son is "innocent and secular." He also hinted that Khan's "social media account may have been hacked," according to an Aaj Tak report.

"Wajahat Khan was getting calls from different numbers every five minutes. They abused him and said that he had trapped Panoli. Three people have even called me. He went into depression," Saadat Khan told Aaj Tak.

He further revealed, "I don't know where he is. He is not at home since last night."
Adding, "His phone is switched off."

Despite Khan's complaint now being under police investigation itself, he is also facing criminal action in multiple states, all seeking to bring him to justice.
Assam prepares for Khan's arrest

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that a case had been filed against Khan in his state and announced that a police team would head to West Bengal to request his handover.

"A case has been registered against him [Wajahat Khan]. Assam Police will go to Kolkata and request the Bengal government to hand him over, but only time will tell how much cooperation the Mamata government will extend," Sarma said.

In Delhi, advocate Vineet Jindal has also filed a complaint, accusing Khan of hate speech and religious defamation.

With FIRs multiplying, a growing political row, and law enforcement from several states now pursuing him, Wajahat Khan - once the accuser - has become the accused.

In seeking to hold influencer Panoli accountable, Khan may have unwittingly landed himself in a legal storm with serious consequences.