Kolkata, June 3, 2025 — A fresh twist has emerged in the case of law student and influencer Sharmishta Panoli, who was recently arrested for allegedly making a communal social media post. A counter-complaint has now been filed against the man whose original complaint led to her arrest.
The new complaint was submitted by Prasun Maitra, a human rights activist, against Wazahat Khan Qadri Rashidi, a 30-year-old Kolkata resident. Rashidi’s complaint to the Garden Reach police station on May 14 triggered the arrest of Panoli from Gurugram, Haryana on May 30.
Background: Panoli’s Arrest
Panoli, 22, a law student and social media influencer, was arrested for allegedly making communal remarks in a video post. She was booked under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), including Section 299, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, raising questions about the severity of the charges.
After her arrest, she was brought to Kolkata and produced in court. She has been placed in judicial custody until June 13.
Panoli had deleted the controversial video and issued a public apology before her arrest, but the matter had already escalated legally.
New Complaint Against Rashidi
On June 2, Prasun Maitra emailed a formal complaint to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma and other senior officers. Maitra alleged that Rashidi himself had posted offensive social media content that hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. He included screenshots of two now-deleted posts from Rashidi’s account on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
Maitra urged the police to apply the same standards to Rashidi that were applied in Panoli’s case, stating:
“Your recent activism shows that you are very much against such communally instigating posts… appropriate legal action must be taken to uphold the integrity of law enforcement.”
He followed up several hours later, stating that no FIR had been registered against Rashidi yet.
Police Response
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Port Division), Harikrishna Pai, confirmed that Maitra’s complaint would be examined and action would be taken as per the law.
“Whatever complaint we receive, we investigate and take legal action as needed,” said DCP Pai.
The Garden Reach Police Station, where the original case was registered, falls under the Port Division. Officers Tanmoy Samui (OC) and N Akhtar (IO) have not commented publicly, and Rashidi could not be contacted — his phone was reportedly switched off.
Rashidi had earlier filed his complaint as the general secretary of the Rashidi Foundation, based at Paharpur Road in Kolkata.
BJP Criticizes Arrest, Police Defends Action
Panoli’s arrest sparked political controversy. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the move, pointing out that Panoli had already deleted the video and apologized. They claimed the action was unfair and politically motivated.
In response, Kolkata Police issued a statement on X, clarifying that the arrest was not about patriotism or political views, but about content that allegedly hurt religious sentiments and promoted communal disharmony.
“The case was registered under appropriate sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. Several notices were served to the accused under Section 35, but she was absconding each time,” police said.
They added that the arrest was made in full compliance with legal procedures.
What Happens Next?
With a counter-complaint now in place, Kolkata Police is under pressure to show impartiality in how it handles communal content on social media — regardless of who posts it.
As both the original FIR and the new complaint continue to unfold, the case is likely to remain in public and legal focus, especially with rising concerns about freedom of expression versus communal sensitivity on digital platforms.
