Latest news with #KolkataPolice
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Calcutta high court denies interim bail to influencer Sharmishta Panoli
Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Tuesday refused to grant ad-interim bail to social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli who was arrested by the Kolkata Police on May 30 for her alleged controversial comments on social media. The bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, however, directed the state to ensure that no further FIRs are registered against Panoli for the same set of allegations. 'The social media post has admittedly hurt the sentiments of a section of citizens. We have freedom of speech and expression. That doesn't mean you will go on hurting the sentiments of others. Our nation is full of diversity. People from several communities and caste, and speaking different languages coexist. So, while making such submissions, we have to be cautious,' the court said. Advocate VP Singh, Panoli's counsel, moved the Calcutta high court seeking ad-interim bail for the 19-year-old law student. Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who was representing the state, however, opposed the bail. The court witnessed a high-pitched argument between the two counsels. 'The May 15 FIR says that she made some blasphemous comments against a community. What is that? Where is that content? The FIR doesn't disclose a cognizable offence, which the police have registered,' Singh told the court. He also said that Panoli's family was receiving threats every day after the social media post and even approached police on three consecutive days seeking protection. It wasn't provided. On May 19, a crowd gathered outside Panoli's residence threatening the family. That was when the family decided to move to Gurugram. Police had earlier stated that all attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurugram. 'She had posted a video hurting the religious faith. The FIR itself discloses a cognizable offence. Warrant was issued by the appropriate magistrate after notice was served. Their flat was under lock and key. She was arrested and produced before a magistrate. Her bail petition was rejected by the magistrate and she was sent to custody,' Banerjee told the court. The court was told Panoli was suffering from attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and kidney related ailments. At least four cases have been registered against her. The bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee directed police to produce the case diary and the CD (content of the video posted by the accused on social media) on June 5 during the next hearing. 'The Garden Reach case shall be treated as the principal case against her. Proceedings on the remaining cases will be stayed. The state will ensure that no further FIRs are registered on the same set of allegations,' the bench stated. Even as Singh sought an immediate interim bail, the court fixed the next hearing for Thursday saying: 'Heaven will not fall'.
India Today
2 hours ago
- General
- India Today
Wajahat Khan, who filed Sharmistha Panoli FIR, has cops chasing him now
Wajahat Khan, the Kolkata man whose complaint led to the arrest of 22-year-old Pune law student and social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, has gone "missing", according to his father. While Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday, Wajahat has since found himself at the centre of a political slugfest and legal storm. FIRs have been filed against Wajahat in at least three states, with Assam set to dispatch a police team to arrest from West Bengal, Assam and Delhi have either registered FIRs or initiated enquiries against him. He went "missing" after reportedly receiving numerous threats and abuse calls, as claimed by his father, Saadat Khan. In fact, a police team from Dispur is set to travel to West Bengal to bring Wajahat Khan to who is Wajahat Khan, and what exactly has he got himself into after his complaint resulted in Sharmistha Panoli's arrest?WAJAHAT KHAN LODGED FIR AGAINST SHARMISTHA PANOLIWajahat Khan is reportedly the general secretary of the Kolkata-based Rashidi Foundation, the organisation that lodged the initial complaint against Sharmistha Panoli, alleged the Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, which on Tuesday filed an FIR against the Kolkata Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, a charitable trust, lodged a complaint against Khan at Kolkata's Garden Reach Police Station, the same station where he had initially filed his complaint against Sharmistha its complaint to Kolkata's Garden Reach Police Station, it accused Wajahat Khan of sharing "malicious and inflammatory posts" on social media that were "intentionally directed toward the Hindu community, its sacred beliefs, and revered deities".In the FIR application to Kolkata Police, undersigned by its secretary, the Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad alleged that Khan used "derogatory and sexually explicit language against Sanatani scriptures and deities like Krishna".The group demanded Khan's immediate arrest, stating that just as the Kolkata Police actively travelled over 1,500 kilometres to arrest Sharmistha 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".Little public information is available about Khan's background beyond his role in this case and his social media activity, which has come under intense the X handle that Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad claimed belonged to Wajahat Khan is now locked, while the associated Facebook account appears to have been taken down or is no longer traceable, as of June 3 FIR application urged the police to invoke the following sections against Wajahat 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), and Sections 66A and 67 of the IT Act for posting offensive and obscene content LEGAL HEAT WAJAHAT KHAN GOT HIMSELF INTOWajahat Khan came under the spotlight after he lodged an FIR against Sharmistha Panoli, which ultimately led to her receiving death threats and to reports, Khan's complaint was based on Panoli's video, which she alleged "promoted communal disharmony and insulted religious sentiments".The video, which Panoli later deleted and apologised for, included remarks against Muslim Bollywood celebrities and referred to Islamic faced massive backlash, including demands for her arrest from AIMIM spokesperson Waris was arrested by Kolkata Police on May 30 from Gurugram, following Khan's complaint filed on May 15 at the Garden Reach Police arrest of Sharmistha Panoli sparked political outrage, with BJP leaders criticising it as "selective enforcement", while Kolkata Police defended it as lawful action against hate KHAN IS INNOCENT AND SECULAR, CLAIMS FATHERWajahat Khan, now facing multiple complaints himself for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities and traditions on social media, has not been seen since Sunday night, alleges his father, Saadat Khan, claims they have been receiving threatening calls since Panoli's arrest, and insists Wajahat Khan is "innocent and secular", suggesting his "social media account may have been hacked", India Today's sister news portal AajTak reported."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 Khan also revealed that Wajahat had disappeared since Sunday afternoon, adding, "I don't know where he is. He is not at home since last night".He added that Wajahat's phone remained unreachable, stating, "His phone is switched off".While a complaint has now been filed against Wajahat Khan at the same police station in Kolkata, he is also facing legal action from other states, all seeking to bring him to TO SEND POLICE TEAM FOR WAJAHAT'S ARRESTA case against Wajahat Khan has also been filed in Assam, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing that a police team will seek his arrest in West Bengal."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 complaint has been filed by advocate Vineet Jindal with the Delhi Police. Jain has accused Khan of hate speech and religious with tables seemingly having turned, Wajahat Khan, once the complainant, now finds himself surrounded by multiple FIRs, a raging controversy and, most importantly, a police team chasing him. In trying to call out the influencer Panoli, Wajahat might have unintentionally triggered a storm and got cops on his tail. advertisement
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
‘Free speech doesn't mean hurting sentiments': Calcutta HC denies interim bail to influencer Sharmistha Panoli
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday denied interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested on May 30 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in a video related to Operation Sindoor. The court also directed the West Bengal government to produce the case diary in connection with Panoli's arrest on June 5, when her interim bail prayer will be heard again. The vacation bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Mukherjee directed that the Garden Reach police station case in connection with which Panoli was arrested will be investigated, while proceedings in all other FIRs in this regard will remain stayed till further orders. Justice Mukherjee observed that one must be careful in making comments in public in a diverse country like India. "The sentiments of a section of the people of our country have been hurt. We have freedom of speech but that does not mean you hurt sentiments of others. Our country is full of diversity. our Country is diverse, with all persons from different caste, creed, religion, etc... We must be cautious by saying this," the judge remarked. The also court said that the state will ensure that no further case will be registered on the alleged action of Panoli. Petitioner Panoli's lawyer claimed that no offence is made out in the complaint filed against her for allegedly making some remarks on social media during the Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. He claimed that there was a war of words on social media between users across India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, which was undertaken by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 men, most of whom were tourists. It was stated that the complaint before the Garden Reach police station in Kolkata claimed that Panoli's comments on social media hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community and caused disharmony among people. He prayed for quashing of the FIR against Panoli and sought grant of bail to her, claiming that no notice was served to her for appearing before the police for investigation into the complaint. Panoli's lawyer, stating that the complaint does not specify what had been said in her social media comments, claimed that it does not disclose any cognisable offence. He stated that the complaint was filed on May 15 and two days later, a warrant of arrest was obtained by the police. He submitted before the court that Panoli's family had also complained to the police that she was under threat and that the alleged offensive post had been taken off from the social media on May 8 after having posted it on May 7 night. The law student was arrested by the Kolkata Police from Gurugram, and was remanded to judicial custody by a Kolkata court till June 13. It was claimed by her lawyer that at least four FIRs were filed in different police stations in the state. Appearing for the state, senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee submitted that the complaint contains cognisable offence and that the alleged post contained an offensive video apart from text. He stated that Panoli's bail petition was rejected by the magistrate of the lower court and was remanded to judicial custody. (With additional inputs from PTI)
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Calcutta HC directs state to produce case diary in Panoli arrest, posts bail prayer hearing on June 5
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to produce the case diary in connection with the arrest of law student Sharmistha Panoli on June 5, when her interim bail prayer will be heard again. The vacation bench of Justice Partha Sarathi Mukherjee directed that the Garden Reach police station case in connection with which Ms. Panoli was arrested will be investigated, while proceedings in all other FIRs in this regard will remain stayed till further orders. The court said that the State will ensure that no further case will be registered on the alleged action of Ms. Panoli. The court directed the State to produce the case diary on the next date of hearing on June 5. Justice Mukherjee observed that one must be careful in making comments in public in a diverse country like India. Petitioner Panoli's lawyer claimed that no offence is made out in the complaint filed against her for allegedly making some remarks on social media during the Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. He claimed that there was a war of words on social media between users across India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, which was undertaken by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 men, most of whom were tourists. It was stated that the complaint before the Garden Reach police station in Kolkata claimed that Ms. Panoli's comments on social media hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community and caused disharmony among people. He prayed for quashing of the FIR against Panoli and sought grant of bail to her, claiming that no notice was served to her for appearing before the police for investigation into the complaint. Ms. Panoli's lawyer, stating that the complaint does not specify what had been said in her social media comments, claimed that it does not disclose any cognisable offence. He stated that the complaint was filed on May 15 and two days later, a warrant of arrest was obtained by the police. He submitted before the court that Ms. Panoli's family had also complained to the police that she was under threat and that the alleged offensive post had been taken off from the social media on May 8 after having posted it on May 7 night. The law student was arrested by the Kolkata Police from Gurugram, and was remanded to judicial custody by a Kolkata court till June 13. It was claimed by her lawyer that at least four FIRs were filed in different police stations in the state. Appearing for the state, senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee submitted that the complaint contains cognisable offence and that the alleged post contained an offensive video apart from text. He stated that Ms. Panoli's bail petition was rejected by the magistrate of the lower court and was remanded to judicial custody.
Mint
4 hours ago
- General
- Mint
Sharmistha Panoli row: Calcutta HC denies interim bail; says ‘freedom of speech does not mean you will hurt people'
Sharmistha Panoli row: The Calcutta high court on Tuesday refused to grant interim bail to Instagram content creator Sharmistha Panoli, and observed that freedom of speech does not give a person the 'will to go on to hurt others'. Instagram influencer, and a law student — Sharmistha Panoli — found herself at the centre of controversy for allegedly making controversial statements in now-deleted videos against a community in the wake of Operation Sindoor. She was arrested by the Kolkata Police last week, after an FIR was filed against her. Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, who presiding over the matter, while denying ad-interim bail, said," Look, we have freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean you will go on to hurt others," reported Live Law. The judge further noted: 'Our country is diverse, with people from different castes, creeds, and religions. We must be cautious by saying this. So, day after tomorrow. Heavens will not fall.' Panoli was arrested for allegedly making controversial remarks criticising Bollywood celebrities for their 'silence' on 'Operation Sindoor." Her now deleted video had 'derogatory and disrespectful" comments aimed at a particular religious community, police said. After the video went viral, #ArrestSharmishta also started trending on X. Social media users flooded the comments section of Sharmistha's Instagram post prompting her to delete the video and issue a public apology. Following her arrest, Panoli was produced before Alipore Court in Kolkata on Saturday, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days. During the case hearing, Sharmistha Panoli's lawyer argued that her arrest was unlawful because the charges mentioned in the FIR were non-cognisable, and she wasn't given any prior notice—which would have been mandatory under the new BNSS laws. Earlier, her lawyer, Md Samimuddin, also said that Panoli's health was getting worse due to poor hygiene and lack of medical care at the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. As per police sources, the FIR against Panoli was lodged under sections 196(1) (a) promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community, 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens), 352 ( intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace), 353(1)(c) (statements that incite public mischief) of the BNSS , reported HT.
