The Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who had been arrested on an allegation of her making controversial remarks on social media regarding Operation Sindoor.
Law student Sharmistha Panoli gets Interim Bail from Calcutta High Court. The Court said that the petitioner will have to cooperate with investigation and not leave India. She has been granted bail at an amount of Rs 10,000 and security bond. Appropriate Police protection is to… pic.twitter.com/9GpDvqWRy3
— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2025
Panoli, aged 22, was apprehended by the Kolkata Police on the last Friday night in Gurugram, Haryana, on the allegation that she made statements that allegedly hurt religious feelings. She has been asked to submit a bail bond for ₹10,000.
In a video that has since been removed, she criticised several Bollywood celebrities in connection with Operation Sindoor. The video was soon deleted, and Sharmistha had to apologise owing to harsh online backlash.
Earlier this week, the court had refused to grant bail, observing that expression does matter, but it must not hurt others. Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee was recorded saying, “Certainly, there is freedom of speech, but that does not permit hurting others. India comprises a variety of communities — we should choose our words carefully.”
The case file has been directed by the court to be submitted by the West Bengal government on June 5.
Panoli’s counsel argued that the complaint was without any legal basis and contended that her statements were made amidst a larger discourse going on between Indian and Pakistani users after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 were killed, mostly tourists.
Her arrest sparked political controversy in West Bengal, with the BJP accusing Kolkata Police of acting too quickly and calling it an example of “selective enforcement.”
