Viral post, arrest and political slugfest: What's the Sharmistha Panoli controversy

India Today

6 days ago

A 22-year-old law student with over 175,000 followers across X and Instagram was arrested after her post on Operation Sindoor drew massive backlash. The woman, Sharmistha Panoli, is a student of Pune's Symbiosis International University and is known for sharing short videos on social media. Often loaded with abusive words, these videos have been going viral, with many supporting her for her fearless stand while others criticised her content as offensive and inflammatory.advertisementA legal action was taken over her now-deleted video in which Panoli reportedly slammed actors who remained silent over Operation Sindoor. She was reportedly replying to a user who asked why India opened fire at Pakistan without any valid reason. She also allegedly also used abusive words in the video.The video triggered widespread backlash for allegedly insulting a religious community and the Prophet Muhammad, despite Panoli issuing an unconditional apology and removing the content.
Panoli was served several legal notice after multiple FIRs were filed against her but she remained absconding, as per Kolkata Police. She was arrested from Gurugram and remanded in judicial custody until 13 June.While leaving the court, she said, 'The way this harassment is being done in a democracy, this is not democracy.'Ever since then, a political slugfest has erupted with the student-cum-influencer's arrest.WHAT HAD HAPPENEDadvertisementOn May 14, AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan flagged Panoli's video on X, claiming it insulted Islam and promoted communal disharmony. He tagged the Union Home Minister and demanded her arrest. The case snowballed from there.On May 15, Panoli posted on X, '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. Again, please accept my apologies.'On May 30, Kolkata Police tracked down Panoli in Gurugram and arrested her. Kolkata Police claimed they made several attempts to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but the attempts were unsuccessful because Panoli and her family absconded.WHY THE BACKLASH?Several people, especially from Muslim communities in India and abroad, slammed her allegedly making offensive remarks about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Hashtags like #ArrestSharmistha began trending, and she reportedly received rape and death threats. Despite deleting the post and issuing an apology the following day, the situation had already escalated legally.CHARGES AGAINST PANOLISeveral FIRs were filed against her in Kolkata. A senior police officer said, 'The case pertains to an Instagram video by a woman named Sharmistha Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of members of a particular community.'advertisementShe was charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including:Section 196(1)(a): Promoting enmity between groups based on religionSection 299: Deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelingsSection 352: Intentional insult likely to provoke a breach of peaceSection 353(1)(c): Statements inciting public mischiefSeveral social media users and political leaders opposed the arrest and termed it "unlawful" to which the Kolkata Police said the action was taken after she went absconding despite several notices.WHAT KOLKATA POLICE SAIDKolkata Police, in a post on X, said, "In reference to Garden Reach Police Station Case No. 136 dated 15.05.2025, certain social media narratives suggesting an unlawful arrest of a law student are factually incorrect and misleading.""All legal procedures were duly adhered to. 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. We urge all concerned to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative content and to rely on authentic sources for information."advertisementSUPPORT FROM OVERSEESThe influencer also got support from a member of the Dutch Parliament, Geert Wilders, who said the influencer's arrest is a "disgrace for freedom of speech". The leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure she is freed.
POLITICS OVER PANOLI'S ARRESTThe arrest has become a political flashpoint, with opposition leaders and public figures accusing the West Bengal government of selective action and appeasement politics.Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi called for a new law to punish those who hurt religious sentiments. Speaking to ANI, he said, 'A law should be formulated against such people which gives a punishment of at least 10 years.'BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut came out in Panoli's defence on her Instagram story. 'I agree that Sharmishta used some unpleasant words for her expression, but such words most youngsters use these days. She apologised for her statements and that should be enough, no need to bully and harass her further. She should be released immediately," Ranaut said.advertisementBJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of targeting Hindu voices. Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said, 'FIR was filed against Mahua Moitra also. She made derogatory comments about Goddess Kali. Was any action taken? What did their (TMC) MP, Saayoni Ghosh, post regarding Mahadev? Was any action taken? There have been so many FIRs against Firhad Hakim, but there has been no action."'The action is only taken against Sanatanis. Everyone here has a licence to abuse Sanatana This is appeasement politics. A certain community is their vote bank and this is for appeasement," he added.Amit Malviya, BJP IT Cell chief, echoed the sentiment, accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of hypocrisy: 'This isn't just about Bengal — this is about how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank.'"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has made far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions. Will the law be applied to her with the same urgency? India is watching. This isn't just a case in West Bengal — it reflects how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank. Justice must not be politically convenient."advertisementAndhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said Panoli had owned up to her mistake and apologised. He lambasted the TMC for 'deep, searing pain" when the party MPs mock Sanatana Dharma. 'Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?" he said.In a post on X, Sivaganga MP and Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said, 'These interstate arrests for social media posts (unless it's clearly demonstrated that it has lead to a law and order situation) is blatantly a misuse of police powers.'Panoli's arrest has reignited debate on the uneasy balance between freedom of expression and religious sensitivity in India's online discourse. While supporters of the arrest point to the need for accountability in public speech, critics warn against selective enforcement and the criminalisation of dissent.As the case unfolds in court, it continues to fuel a broader national conversation: in a democracy, who gets to decide what crosses the line?