Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Jun 5: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student and social media influencer, arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and promoting hatred through one of her posts.

A vacation bench led by Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury approved her bail against a personal bond of ?10,000, but imposed several conditions. Panoli must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and cannot leave India without prior court approval.

The court also clarified that if Panoli seeks to travel abroad for academic reasons, her request should be considered seriously by the trial court.

Addressing concerns about threats made against her, the High Court instructed Kolkata Police to ensure her protection.

Significantly, the court ruled that Panoli’s custodial interrogation was unnecessary and noted that the arrest warrant issued against her appeared to be “mechanical” — lacking proper evaluation of whether the alleged offence was genuinely cognisable. The court further pointed out that notices were being served to Panoli while she was outside Kolkata.

Panoli was arrested on May 30 from Gurugram, days after she posted an Instagram video that referenced ‘Operation Sindoor’ and allegedly hurt religious sentiments. She deleted the video and issued a public apology following backlash.

An FIR was filed at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15, and Panoli was remanded to judicial custody by a Kolkata court on May 31, with custody extended until June 13.

The case has drawn political attention, with the BJP’s Bengal unit accusing the Kolkata Police of acting in haste and labeling the arrest as a “vote-bank vendetta.”