Law student and influencer held for comment said to create communal tension; taken to judicial custody for 14 days. Sharmishta Panoli, who is a law student and also an influencer on social media, has been taken into judicial custody for 14 days after she was arrested for making communally sensitive comments in a viral video. The video, which was uploaded on May 14 and then withdrawn, attacked Bollywood stars and had words which were found to offend religious sentiments.
Who is Sharmishta Panoli?
As per her LinkedIn biography, Sharmishta Panoli is a fourth-year law student from Pune. She commenced studying law in early 2022 and has since built an impressive online following, boasting more than 94,000 followers on Instagram. Famous for her forthright political opinions, Panoli has often expressed controversial views using her reels and videos.
But after public outcry over her latest post, she removed all of her material from the site, including the offending video.
What Triggered the Controversy?
The deleted video contained community comments that were vehemently criticized on the web. It apparently replied to a comment—presumably made by a Pakistani user—questioning India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam that killed 26.
In the video, Panoli reportedly used abusive language and attacked Bollywood celebrities and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia for taking a “soft approach” towards Pakistan. Her comments were deemed offensive and created a social media storm.
Legal Action and Arrest
After there was an outcry, Panoli took down the video and made a public apology. Yet, there was a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against her under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, such as charges of promoting enmity between religious communities.
The Kolkata Police, after having difficulties finding her, traced her to Gurugram. Panoli and her family were accused of evading legal notices by the police. She was arrested on May 31 after a court warrant.
She was presented in front of the Alipore Court, which refused her bail and sent her to judicial custody until June 13.
Legal Defense and Ruling of the Court
Her lawyer, while presenting the case in the court hearing, pleaded that as all digital evidence was already taken by the police, custody was not required. The court, however, refused the plea and confirmed the arrest, citing that due process was ensured.
The police verified that the arrest had been made legally according to court orders, and Panoli faces charges of promoting enmity between communities, offending religious sentiments, and spreading unrest.
