The Kolkata Police on Monday arrested Wajahat Khan Qadri, the man whose complaint led to the arrest of 22-year-old law student Sharmishta Panoli, for posting allegedly “malicious and inflammatory” remarks on social media, The Indian Express reported.
Qadri, who was allegedly absconding since June 1, was found in a flat in the city’s Amherst Street area, PTI quoted unidentified police officers as saying. He will be produced before a court on Tuesday, The Indian Express reported.
A complaint had been registered against him on June 5.
He was booked under the same sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as Panoli: promoting enmity between different groups, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens, intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace and statements that incite public mischief, The Indian Express had quoted an unidentified police officer as saying earlier.
Panoli, a fourth-year business and law student at a Pune university, was arrested by the Kolkata Police in Gurugram on May 30 for her remarks about Prophet Muhammad on social media. She deleted the post later and issued an apology on X.
A case was filed against Panoli based on Qadri’s complaints on May 15.
An arrest warrant had been issued against her on May 17, after which she was arrested from Gurugram, brought to Kolkata on a transit remand and remanded to judicial custody till June 13.
The Calcutta High Court on June 5 granted interim bail to the 22-year-old law student.
Following Panoli’s arrest, at least five complaints were filed against Qadri in West Bengal, including two at the Garden Reach Police Station, for alleged hate speech and derogatory remarks on social media that hurt religious sentiments.
Qadri had allegedly demanded action against Panoli on social media and later celebrated her arrest.
The first complaint against Qadri was filed by a Hindutva outfit Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad on June 2.
The outfit alleged that his posts promoted enmity between religious groups and demanded his arrest for hurting “Hindu sentiments”.
Several complaints had also been filed against Qadri in different parts of the country, including Mumbai, Delhi and Assam, for alleged hate speech and making derogatory remarks against religious deities on social media.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that an FIR was filed against the Qadri for allegedly making “unacceptable comments against Devi Maa Kamakhya”, The Indian Express reported.
A three-member team of the Assam Police had earlier visited the area where Qadri lives in Kolkata’s Garden Reach.
The 30-year-old is the co-founder of the Rashidi Foundation.