The Supreme Court granted interim protection to Wajahat Khan, staying his arrest outside West Bengal in a hate speech case. Notices were issued to the Centre and six states with the next hearing set for July 14.
New Delhi: Today, on June 23, the Supreme Court of India has recently taken up the case of Wajahat Khan, who is currently in police custody after being arrested by Kolkata Police on June 10.
He was arrested in connection with a hate speech complaint, and several FIRs (First Information Reports) have been registered against him in six states — West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi — for allegedly posting content on social media that incited religious sentiments and promoted hatred.
The police claim that Wajahat Khan’s posts have hurt the religious feelings of certain communities.
ALSO READ: Wazahat Khan, Who Filed FIR Against Influencer Sharmistha Panoli, Arrested in Kolkata
During the court proceedings, Wajahat Khan’s legal team told the bench that he had already taken down the controversial post and issued an apology.
His lawyer further submitted before the Court that
“I also apologized and deleted the post. There are threats of beheading against me.”
Despite this, Wajahat Khan continues to face multiple FIRs in different states on the same issue. To address this, he has now approached the Supreme Court seeking relief.
His petition requests that all FIRs lodged in various states be clubbed together and heard in a single jurisdiction to avoid repeated arrests and harassment.
On hearing his plea, the Supreme Court bench decided to issue a notice to the Central Government and the six states where the FIRs have been filed.
The Court has asked all the concerned governments to respond to the petition by July 14, which is when the case will next be heard.
While hearing the matter, the Supreme Court granted an important relief to Wajahat Khan by staying his arrest in states other than West Bengal.
The bench made an important observation during the proceedings. Referring to the sensitive nature of the issue, the Court remarked,
“A wound burnt by fire may be healed, but words do not heal the wound.”
This quote, which comes from a Tamil proverb, was used by the Court to explain the deep and lasting impact hate speech can have on people and society.
The Court also passed an interim order directing that
“no coercive action be taken against the petitioner in respect of FIRs lodged in other states or any other FIRs that may be registered on the same charge in the future.”
This means that until the Court makes a final decision, Wajahat Khan cannot be arrested in any state other than West Bengal for the same alleged offence.
Background Of The Case
Wajahat Khan, who had earlier filed a police complaint leading to the arrest of 22-year-old social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli in Gurugram on May 30, is himself now facing multiple legal troubles.
On June 10, a Kolkata court rejected his bail plea after he was arrested by Kolkata Police on June 9.
According to police reports, Wajahat had been absconding since June 1, ignoring three summonses issued to him by the Golf Green Police Station in Kolkata, where an FIR was registered against him for spreading hate speech and hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community through his social media posts.
Despite repeated notices to appear for questioning, he failed to comply, leading to his eventual arrest.
It was reported that Wajahat Khan had gone missing shortly after Panoli’s arrest, with his father, Saadat Khan, telling the media that his son had not returned home and that the family had been receiving threatening calls accusing them of “ruining Panoli’s life.”
Further, on June 2, the Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad filed a complaint with the Officer-in-Charge of the Garden Reach Police Station, alleging that Wajahat Khan had used sexually explicit, derogatory, and inflammatory language against Hindu deities, customs, and the community at large.
The complaint claimed Khan made extremely offensive remarks, including referring to Hindus as “rapist cultures” and “urine drinkers.”
The complainants urged action under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
On the other hand, Sharmistha Panoli, who had been arrested for using abusive and communal language targeting Muslim Bollywood celebrities over their silence on Operation Sindoor, was granted interim conditional bail.
As part of her bail conditions, Panoli has been prohibited from leaving India without prior permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate.
CASE TITLE:
WAZAHAT KHAN vs UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. W.P.(Crl.) No. 247/2025
Click Here to Read Our Reports on Sharmistha Panoli
