The Calcutta High Court grants interim bail to influencer Sharmistha Panoli

New Delhi (India) June 5: The Calcutta high court granted influencer Sharmistha Panoli interim bail after she was arrested for allegedly making offensive remarks on social media about Operation Sindoor.

Sharmishtha is prohibited from leaving India without the Chief Judicial Magistrate's prior consent as part of the bail requirements. The influencer has also been ordered to pay a ₹10,000 bail fee.

The court has ordered Kolkata Police to respond to the influencer's petition about dangers to her safety.

The opposition BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of "state-sponsored repression" in response to Ms. Panoli's arrest.

The Calcutta High Court rejected Panoli's temporary release on Tuesday, citing the tenet that religious sensibilities cannot be harmed and that freedom of speech is not unlimited.

Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee had said, “Look, we have freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean you will go on to hurt others. Our country is diverse, with people from different castes, creeds, and religions. We must be cautious by saying this. So, the day after tomorrow. Heavens will not fall” regarding the decision.

According to Kolkata Police, the arrest of the law student and social media influencer was justified because her remarks were considered "hate speech" and should not be confused with freedom of expression.

Last Monday, the 22-year-old from Gurugram, Haryana, was taken into custody by the Kolkata Police. She is charged with offending religious feelings by making "communal" remarks in a social media video. She has spoken things about Bollywood actors on Operation Sindoor in the video. Panoli apologised and removed the post after receiving criticism.

A report made by Wajahat Khan Qadri at the Garden Reach police station in Kolkata led to Panoli’s arrest. He said that Panoli's video about Bollywood's silence on "Operation Sindoor" contained "communal" content. But now police have also filed a FIR against Qadri as he has been accused of publishing violent comments online. The officers confirmed that he is now missing.

Aadrika Tayal