City Court Remands Influencer in Hate Speech Case

Wazahat Khan was remanded by a city court to Kolkata Police custody over alleged hate speech charges. His bail plea was denied, with police citing the need to examine more social media posts. Khan's lawyer questioned the timing and notification of the charges.

On Tuesday, a city court ruled that Wazahat Khan be kept in Kolkata Police custody until June 16 over charges related to alleged hate speech.

During the court proceedings, officers from Haryana and Assam Police—who have previously filed similar cases against Khan—were present.

The Kolkata Police's prosecution lawyer asserted that Khan's online remarks incited hate and that they needed further investigation into additional social media posts, some of which had reportedly been deleted.

Khan's legal counsel argued that the charges were connected to posts made three years ago, and questioned the timing of the notifications.

While Khan's bail plea was rejected, social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, initially arrested on Khan's complaint, was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court.

(With inputs from agencies.)