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India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We are trying our best to get her out of jail",: says influencer Sharmishta Panoli's advocate, Md Samimuddin
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 3 (ANI): Following the arrest of social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli on May 30 for hurting religious sentiments, now her lawyer, Md Samimuddi, reveals that her health is deteriorating due to poor hygiene and lack of medical care at Alipore Women's Correctional Home. Samimuddin says, 'We are trying our best to get her out of jail before June 13. We will discuss the matter today. We will decide in one or two days about what to Alipore Women's Correctional Home, proper hygiene is not being maintained around her, and she is unwell. She has kidney stones. She is not being given access to newspapers and magazines. Today we have filed a petition in the court so that she gets access to her basic rights... Sharmistha is innocent. We are trying our best to get out on bail...'. Earlier on June 1, Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India and Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India, strongly condemned the arrest of law student Sharmishtha Panoli. Mishra denounced it as a grave miscarriage of justice and a direct attack on freedom of expression. Mishra asserted that the Bengal government and Kolkata Police have repeatedly demonstrated selective enforcement of the law, targeting individuals from specific communities while overlooking more serious offences committed by others. On June 2, a complaint was filed against Wazahat Khan Qadri -- the man whose FIR led to the law student's arrest. Prasun Maitra, an NGO president from North 24 Parganas, lodged a police complaint accusing Wazahat of repeatedly posting abusive, anti-Hindu posts from an X account. A 22-year-old law student from Pune, Sharmistha Panoli, was arrested by Kolkata Police in Gurugram on Friday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with a video on Operation Sindoor. The Instagram clip, reportedly derogatory towards a particular religion, was later deleted. She also issued an unconditional apology on X and was remanded to judicial custody till June 13. On Saturday, Panoli was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days. According to the Kolkata Police, several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but the attempts were unsuccessful because Panoli and her family absconded. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued by the court, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram on Friday night. 'The case relates to an Instagram video by a lady named Sharmishta Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. FIR was lodged at the Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve notice as per law couldn't be successful since the accused, with her family absconded. Subsequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the court of law, based on which she was arrested from Gurgaon yesterday,' as per the Kolkata Police. However, Panoli had deleted the video and issued an apology on May 15. (ANI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Influencer Sharmistha Panoli's health worsens in jail; lawyer Md Samimuddi alleges denial of basic rights
KOLKATA: Social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli's lawyer, Md Samimuddi, reports her deteriorating health conditions at Alipore Women's Correctional Home following her arrest on May 30 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Samimuddin states, "We are trying our best to get her out of jail before June 13. We will discuss the matter today. We will decide in one or two days about what to Alipore Women's Correctional Home, proper hygiene is not being maintained around her, and she is unwell. She has kidney stones. She is not being given access to newspapers and magazines. Today we have filed a petition in the court so that she gets access to her basic rights. .. Sharmistha is innocent. We are trying our best to get out on bail...". On June 1, Bar Council of India Chairman and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra criticised the arrest of law student Sharmishtha Panoli, describing it as unjust and an infringement on free expression. Mishra pointed out that the Bengal government and Kolkata Police have shown bias in law enforcement, targeting specific community members whilst ignoring serious offences by others. On June 2, NGO president Prasun Maitra from North 24 Parganas filed a complaint against Wazahat Khan Qadri, who had initially filed the FIR against Panoli. Maitra accused Wazahat of posting anti-Hindu content on X. Kolkata Police arrested the 22-year-old Pune law student in Gurugram for allegedly offensive content regarding . She removed the Instagram video and apologised on X before being placed in judicial custody until June 13. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Alipore Court ordered a 14-day judicial custody when Panoli appeared on Saturday. Kolkata Police reported unsuccessful attempts to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, who allegedly absconded. The court subsequently issued an arrest warrant, leading to her apprehension in Gurugram. Although Panoli had removed the contentious video and apologised on May 15, the Garden Reach Police Station processed the FIR regarding religious sentiment violation.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Delhi Bar Association Exempts Lawyers From Wearing Black Coats In Summer
New Delhi: The Delhi Bar Association (Tis Hazari) has exempted its members from wearing the compulsory black coats in summer in the district court. The notice of May 24 said, "All the members are hereby informed that advocates are exempted from wearing black coats during summer, ie, from May 16 to September 30, as per the amendment in rule under Section 49 (1) (gg) of the Advocates Act of 1961." The provision empowers the Bar Council of India (BCI) to frame rules on the attire of advocates appearing before any court or tribunal and includes consideration of climatic conditions. "The members are free to appear in courts subordinate to the Delhi High Court without wearing black coats. The members, however, are advised to adhere to the other rules of the dress code, which is mandatory for an advocate," said the notice signed by the association's secretary Vikas Goyal.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BCI chairman demands Sharmishta Panoli's release; condemns West Bengal govt
CHENNAI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman and Rajya Sabha member, Manan Kumar Mishra, has condemned the arrest of law student Sharmishta Panoli by the West Bengal police for a now-deleted social media video, despite her immediate apology. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'I demand Sharmistha's immediate release, a fair trial, and an end to the double standards that have long plagued the state's administration of justice,' he said. 'It represents an absolute failure of justice and a blatant assault on freedom of expression. The Bengal govt and Kolkata police have once again proved their pattern of excessive, selective, and politically motivated action, targeting individuals from particular communities while ignoring or even shielding far more egregious acts by others,' Mishra said on Sunday. It is deeply troubling that the same govt that opposed Operation Sindoor - a decisive counter-terror operation meant to avenge the brutal killing of innocents -- now seeks to silence a young law student for questioning such similar double standards, he said in a statement. 'It is unconscionable that a young law student is made a scapegoat and subjected to harsh legal action, while past atrocities on particular communities by govt-sponsored persons and entities remain unaddressed. True democracy demands impartiality, restraint, and the equal protection of rights, not selective outrage and vendetta,' Mishra said. He also called upon the Bengal govt and its police to 'abandon this dangerous path of targeting select voices and to uphold the rule of law for all.'
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Assault on free speech: Bar Council of India seeks release of Sharmishta Panoli
Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra on Sunday strongly criticised the West Bengal government, calling the arrest of law student Sharmistha Panoli "unfortunate" and a serious violation of freedom of a public statement, Mishra said, "I stand firmly with Sharmistha Panoli. Her arrest and judicial custody over a now-deleted social media video — despite her immediate apology — reflects a complete failure of justice. This is a blatant attack on free speech."advertisementIn a press statement, Mishra accused the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police of following a politically motivated and selective pattern of action, allegedly targeting specific communities while ignoring or even protecting more serious offenses by individuals from other groups. He cited past incidents such as the Marichjhapi massacre, Nandigram violence, political killings and recent Murshidabad communal riots, alleging state complicity or Mishra claimed that the state has often protected perpetrators of violence against Hindus while coming down harshly on dissenters like also criticised the government for opposing counter-terror operations like 'Operation Sindoor,' aimed at avenging brutal killings of innocents, while now silencing a young law student for raising questions about such double condemned labeling minor word choices as blasphemy and described the legal action against Sharmistha as inhumane and unjust. Furthermore, he called for her immediate release, a fair hearing, and an end to the double standards allegedly plaguing West Bengal's justice Watch
