A social media influencer was arrested by the Kolkata Police on Friday (May 30, 2025) for posting communal statements on social media
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A social media influencer was arrested by the Kolkata Police on Friday (May 30, 2025) for posting communal statements on social media. An uproar started on social media, and many said that her arrest was unlawful. In response, the police on Saturday (May 31, 2025) clarified that the social media claims of an unlawful arrest of a law student are factually incorrect; all legal procedures were followed, including a court-issued warrant.

This comes after a woman named Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student in Pune made a video on social media sharing anti-Islamic comments and used verbal slurs while talking about Pakistan in relation to the recent Pahalgam attack which took the life of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir. The video shows her making claims about ‘Operation Sindoor’ without due proof.

Reportedly, a case was registered against Ms. Panoli at the Garden Reach Police station in Kolkata on May 15. She was arrested on Friday (May 30, 2025) from Gurugram, Haryana, by the Kolkata Police.

Ms. Panoli later deleted her post from her social media handle and apologised for her comments.

“I do hereby tender my UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY whatever was put are my personal feelings and i never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody so if anybody is hurt, I’m sorry for the same. I expect co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, i will be cautious in my public post,” Ms Panoli said on a social media post on May 15.

After her arrest, multiple social media handles called it ‘unlawful’ and claimed that the police were being ‘selective’ and ‘bias’. Many called for her release and started a hashtag campaign ‘#ReleaseSharmistha’ and ‘FreeSharmistha’.

“All attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law,” Kolkata Police officials said in an official clarification.

The police also urged the public to stay away from sharing unverified and speculative content and only post authentic sources of information on social media to curtail the spread of misinformation and hatred.

Many on social media have also come out in support of the Kolkata Police and said that as civil servants they are doing their job and working as per a registered case and a court warrant.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari came out in support of Ms. Panoli and said that many FIRs have been filed against multiple Trinamool Congress leaders for making communal comments, but no action has been taken by the police.

“Here action is only taken on people who are Sanatanis. They have a license for abusing Sanatanis here. Trinamool is doing appeasement politics. They are trying to satisfy a specific community, which is their vote bank,” Mr. Adhikari further added.

The LoP said that 200 FIRs were registered against Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra for talking lowly about Goddess Kali, but no action was taken against her.