New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Wazahat Khan, the man whose complaint led to the arrest of social media influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli, in connection with FIRs lodged against him in states other than West Bengal for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through his social media posts.
A bench comprising Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice N Kotiswar Singh passed the interim order while issuing notice on Khan’s writ petition seeking the consolidation of multiple FIRs filed in Assam, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana.
These FIRs were registered following allegations that Khan’s posts were offensive to Hindu religious beliefs.
The court noted that Khan had already been arrested in two FIRs registered in West Bengal. He is currently in police custody in a case registered at Golf Link police station, Kolkata, and in judicial custody in another Bengal case.
While issuing notice to the Union of India and other states, the bench ordered that no coercive action be taken against Khan in relation to FIRs filed outside West Bengal or any future FIRs arising from the same set of allegations. The matter will next be heard on July 14.
Appearing for Khan, Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu submitted that multiple FIRs were lodged in retaliation to the complaint Khan had earlier filed against influencer Sharmistha Panoli.
Naidu clarified that while he does not endorse the tweets in question, his client has publicly apologized and deleted them, having “learnt the lesson the hard way.”
Justice Viswanathan observed critically that the petitioner had not annexed the controversial tweets to the petition.
When informed that the tweets were deleted before any FIR was registered, the Court nevertheless disapproved of the content.
“All hate-mongering,” Justice Viswanathan remarked, adding, “such tweets cannot come within the ambit of free speech.” He also invoked a Tamil proverb: “Wounds inflicted by fire may heal, but not those inflicted by the tongue.”
Naidu submitted that Khan is not seeking immunity but only the consolidation of cases to avoid harassment and ensure a fair investigation. He assured the Court that Khan would fully cooperate with authorities.
Sharmistha Panoli, an Instagram influencer and law student, was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurugram based on a complaint filed by Khan.
She was accused of hurting religious sentiments through a social media video posted during India’s Operation Sindoor. She was later granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court.
Following Panoli’s arrest, Khan himself came under scrutiny, with several FIRs lodged against him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alleging that he made derogatory remarks against Hindu deities and festivals and incited communal tension. He was arrested in Kolkata on June 9.
The Supreme Court’s interim order provides Khan relief from arrest in cases outside West Bengal, pending further proceedings.
