Influencer Sharmishta arrested over 'communally-charged' Operation Sindoor video gets bail
What's the story
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to law student Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested for allegedly posting a communally charged video linked to Operation Sindoor. Earlier, the court had rejected her plea and advised her that freedom of speech doesn't allow hurting others' religious sentiments. The court directed Panoli to furnish a ₹10,000 bail bond and also ordered police protection against any threats she might face due to her posts.
Judicial observations
'Order not legally justified...': HC on issuance of arrest warrant
Granting bail, Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury of the Calcutta HC criticized the "mechanical" issuance of the arrest warrant. He said the order was not legally justified, as Panoli is a law student and doesn't need to be kept in custody for interrogation. "The arrest order issued by the Alipore court on 22 May 2025 at the behest of the investigating officer is not legally justified...there is no need to keep her in custody for interrogation," Justice Chowdhury noted.
Arrest details
Panoli was arrested on May 30
Panoli was arrested by the Kolkata Police on May 30 from Gurugram, Haryana, after an FIR was registered against her at the Garden Reach Police Station by one Wajahat Khan Qadri. The complaint accused her of making blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). The remarks were made while replying to a social media user's question on why India attacked Pakistan.
Comments
Remarks that started it all
She said, "Earlier, I used to think Nabi was delusional as he thought 72 hoors would be waiting for them in heaven, but this woman (a social media user) is even more delusional; she thinks India opened fire without any reason. Have you heard of the Pahalgam attack and other terrorists that your nation has been sponsoring?" In the now-deleted video, she had also criticized Bollywood celebrities for remaining silent on Operation Sindoor.
Defense arguments
Defense argued blasphemy 'not in law of the land'
Panoli's defense argued that the complaint doesn't disclose a cognizable offense as "blasphemy is not in the law of the land." Senior Advocate DP Singh, appearing for Panoli, said she was responding to a "Pakistani girl...on social media." He added that Panoli, a fourth-year law student, had deleted the controversial video and apologized the very next day. After hearing both sides, the court held that no further custodial interrogation was needed and also ordered the state police to provide protection.