'Hate speech gets us nowehere': SC stays Wajahat Khan's arrest

The Supreme Court (SC) stayed the arrest of Wazahat Khan, whose complaint led to Sharmishta Panoli, the social media influencer who posted a derogatory video against Prophet Muhammad.

The bench, comprising Justice KV Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh, dismissed Khan’s statements as “all hate mongering,” and said, “hate speech gets us nowhere.”

The bench has allowed the consolidation of FIRs against Khan from Assam, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi. It ordered that no more FIRs would be entertained against Wajahat Khan in connection with the same matter.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 14.

Instagram influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli allegedly used abusive language against Prophet Muhammad and made communal remarks criticising a section of Bollywood celebrities for their silence on Operation Sindoor.

Based on Wajahat Khan’s complaint, Panoli was arrested by the Kolkata police. She is currently on interim bail.

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However, after her arrest, Khan came under the Hindutva scanner. On June 2, a right-wing organisation, Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad, registered a complaint in Kolkata, alleging the 30-year-old made derogatory remarks against Hindu religious deities in response to Panoli’s post, with an intent to “promote enmity between religious groups and potentially incite public unrest.”

Multiple FIRs were filed against him from all across the country under sections 196(1)(a) (promoting enemity between different groups), 299 (deliberate and malicious attempts to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting religion or religious beliefs), 352 (intential insult), and 353(1)(c) (public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNA), as well as Sections 66A and 67 of the Information Technology Act.

Khan was arrested on June 9.

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