Kolkata Police arrested Sharmistha Panoli, 22, an influencer and a regulation pupil in Pune, from Gurugram on Friday night time over allegations of injuring spiritual sentiments. She is a resident of Kolkata’s Anandapur space. The Kolkata court docket, yesterday, remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.
A number of makes an attempt had been made to serve authorized notices to Panoli and her household, however these efforts had been unsuccessful as they’d absconded. In consequence, the court docket issued an arrest warrant, resulting in her subsequent arrest, the Kolkata Police mentioned.
A take a look at prime 10 updates in Sharmistha Panoli case
- The Kolkata Police on Saturday acknowledged, “The case pertains to an Instagram video by a girl named Sharmishta Panoli that harm the spiritual sentiments of a selected neighborhood. FIR was lodged in Backyard Attain Police Station. Makes an attempt to serve discover as per regulation could not achieve success for the reason that accused, along with her household absconded. Subsequently, warrant of arrest was issued by the court docket of regulation, primarily based on which she was arrested from Gurgaon yesterday.”
2. The case originated after Panoli posted a video on Instagram on 14 Might, in response to a query from a Pakistani follower relating to India’s navy motion following the Pahalgam terror assault. Within the video, she allegedly made derogatory feedback about Islam and Prophet Muhammad, and likewise criticised Bollywood actors for his or her silence on the problem.
3. On Might 15, Panoli had deleted the video and made an apology after receiving loss of life threats because the video went viral. She talked about, “I do hereby tender my UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY no matter was put are my private emotions and I by no means deliberately needed to harm anyone so if anyone is harm I’m sorry for a similar. I count on co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, I might be cautious in my public submit. Once more please settle for my apologies.”
4. She went on to make clear that her remarks had been made in response to threats from “radical Pakistani terrorists,” stating, “Mere liye mera desh pehle aata hai” (For me, my nation comes first).
5. Her advocate mentioned, “We moved our bail software earlier than the court docket, citing that the articles which have been allegedly acknowledged by the prosecution to have been used, the cell phone and the laptop computer, have already been seized. Subsequently, the court docket heard our prayer.”
6. “The police custody prayer was sought by the prosecution, which was turned down and rejected. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody until thirteenth of June, 2025,” the advocate added.
7. Kolkata Police dismissed the “factually incorrect” and “deceptive” sure social media narratives indicating that the arrest of the regulation pupil was “illegal.”
8. “FIR was filed in opposition to Mahua Moitra additionally. She made derogatory feedback about Goddess Kali. Was any motion taken? What did their (TMC) MP, Saayoni Ghosh, submit relating to Mahadev? Was any motion taken? There have been so many FIRs in opposition to Firhad Hakim, however there was no motion,” West Bengal Meeting LoP and BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the arrest of Panoli, alleging that motion is taken solely in opposition to “Sanatanis”.
He added, “The motion is just taken in opposition to Sanatanis. Everybody right here has a licence to abuse Sanatana… That is appeasement politics. A sure neighborhood is their vote financial institution and that is for appeasement. Mahua Moitra used derogatory language in opposition to Goddess Kali in a chat present, 200 FIRs had been registered. No motion was taken…”
9. On Saturday, she was produced earlier than Alipore Courtroom in Kolkata. The court docket remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.
10. “Blasphemy have to be condemned, all the time! Secularism isn’t a defend for some and a sword for others. It have to be a two-way road. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all,” Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan acknowledged on X. He added, “She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB (West Bengal) Police swiftly acted, taking motion in opposition to Sharmishta.”
