Senior Indian journalist targeted with doxxing and Islamophobic harassment via X account "Hindutva Knight" leading to widespread condemnation

Summary

Arfa Khanum Sherwani, a senior Indian journalist and editor of The Wire, became a victim of online harassment after her personal contact information was allegedly leaked. The harassment followed a social media post she made urging peace and de-escalation between India and Pakistan. Over the next 24 hours, she received a continuous stream of threatening messages and calls, many containing Islamophobic content and inflammatory remarks. Some messages falsely accused her of sympathizing with Pakistan and included offensive depictions of the Holy Quran and disparaging references to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The doxxing was linked to an X account called "Hindutva Knight," allegedly operated by Chandan Sharma, who had previously targeted journalist Rana Ayyub. The incident has drawn condemnation from fellow journalists, with calls for government action to address online harassment.