Wazahat Khan, the man who registered a case against Instagram influencer Sharmistha Panoli, was arrested on Monday evening by Kolkata Police for allegedly posting hate speech and hurting religious sentiments on social media, officials said.
Khan has been booked under sections 196(1)(a), 299, 352, and 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly spreading hatred and hurting religious sentiments through social media posts.
Wazahat Khan had lodged a complaint against social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, a senior officer said. Police said that Khan was hiding in a flat in Amherst Street area from where he was picked up.
However, authorities later booked him under charges related to promoting enmity and offending religious beliefs.
Earlier, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul and West Bengal BJP Legal Cell member Sanjukta Samanta had filed an FIR against Wazahat Khan at two Police Stations, Ballygunje Police Station, Kolkata and Howrah Police Station.
