Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student from Pune and social media influencer with over 80,000 followers on Instagram and X, has been arrested by the Kolkata Police from Gurugram, Haryana, for allegedly making derogatory remarks targeting a religious community in a now-deleted video related to Operation Sindoor.
The video, originally posted on May 14, 2025, featured Panoli responding to a Pakistani follower’s question about India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack. In her reply, Panoli reportedly made inflammatory comments about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, while also criticising Bollywood celebrities for their perceived silence on the Indian military operation, said a report by Mint.
The video quickly sparked outrage online, leading to the hashtag #ArrestSharmistha trending on X.
Following the backlash, Panoli deleted the video, wiped her Instagram feed, and issued a public apology.
In a story highlight posted on May 15, she wrote, “I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody,” and extended an “unconditional apology” to those offended by her remarks.
Despite the apology, an First Information Report (FIR) was registered in Kolkata under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
Section 196(1)(a): Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion
Section 299: Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings
Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace
Section 353(1)(c): Statements that incite public mischief
Police said that multiple attempts to serve legal notices to Panoli were unsuccessful as she was reportedly absconding. She was tracked down late Friday night, May 30, and arrested in Gurugram, added Mint.
Today, Saturday, May 31, she was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, where she was remanded to police custody.
Panoli is currently enrolled at Pune’s Law University and is known for her politically charged content on social media.
