Latest news with #SharmishtaPanoli
News18
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Sharmistha Panoli Sent To 14-Day Judicial Custody: TIMELINE
Pune law student and influencer Sharmishta Panoli, who was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over her controversial video on Operation Sindoor, has now been remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a Kolkata court. As the case grabs national attention, celebs like Pawan Kalyan and Kangana Ranaut have spoken out about the incident. Watch the full video for the detailed TIMELINE and everything that has unfolded so far. news | entertainment news live | latest bollywood news | bollywood | news18 | n18oc_moviesLiked the video? Please press the thumbs up icon and leave a comment. Subscribe to Showsha YouTube channel and never miss a video: Showsha on Instagram: Showsha on Facebook: Showsha on X: Showsha on Snapchat: entertainment and lifestyle news and updates on:
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Arrest of student for communal posts: Getting threats in jail, influencer tells court
Sharmishta Panoli, the 22-year-old law student and social media content creator arrested for allegedly posting communal posts, on Monday filed a petition in Alipore court here, seeking 'adequate protection' and claimed that she was receiving 'multiple threats from other inmates inside the jail, causing her to fear for her safety and well-being'. She has also alleged that she was being denied basic amenities in the jail. Panoli was arrested by the Kolkata Police from Gurgaon in Haryana on Friday and sent to judicial custody till June 13. In her plea, Panoli said that she is suffering from medical ailments and requires regular access to clean drinking water, hygienic sanitation, and proper medical attention. 'No proper hygiene is maintained inside the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. My client is being denied basic amenities. She has kidney-related issues and has not been feeling well. We have submitted a petition and the court has sought a report by June 4,' her lawyer Mohammed Samimuddin was quoted as saying by PTI. Meanwhile, Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said a notice has been issued to the West Bengal DGP, directing him to ensure Panoli's safety. 'A notice has been issued to the DGP of West Bengal under Section 12 of the PHR Act, 1993, directing him to ensure the safety of the arrested law student and submit a report to the Commission, including his response on the procedures of arrest,' Kanoongo posted on X. Meanwhile, a Hindu outfit in a letter to Jail Superintendent of Alipore Women's Correctional Home cited threat to the 22-year-old's life and demanded security arrangements for her. 'Sharmishta Panoli's life is under threat as prior to her arrest, she has been receiving rape and death threats by radicalised religious groups… Necessary steps should be taken to ensure her well being,' Shree Ram Swabhiman Parishad stated in the letter. In Delhi, the BJP on Monday upped the ante against the TMC government in West Bengal over the arrest of influencer Panoli, calling the action 'state-sponsored repression' and 'violation' of her right to freedom of speech and expression. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also took on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the issue, calling her 'ruthless'. Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has also called for immediate release and fair trial for Panoli. The senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member said that he was standing firmly with Panoli, whose arrest and judicial custody for a now-deleted social media video despite her immediate apology represented 'an absolute failure of justice and a blatant assault on freedom of expression'. On Monday, the Bar Council of Delhi condemned the influencer's arrest and demanded her 'immediate release to uphold the scale of justice'. The Kolkata Police has dismissed criticisms that they have 'unlawfully' arrested the Instagram influencer and claimed that all legal procedures were followed. Police have defended Panoli's arrest, saying the case was 'duly investigated and adhered to legal procedures'. 'Hate speech and abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech & expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution,' the Kolkata Police added. Complaint filed against Panoli's complainant A police complaint has been filed against Wazahat Khan, the complainant in the Sharmishta Panoli case, in Kolkata, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments through his tweets. Khan's X account is reportedly locked. The complaint against Khan was filed by one Prasun Maitra, who claims to be the president of an NGO called Atmadeep. 'I have sent a complaint to the Kolkata Police to lodge an FIR against Wazahat Khan. He made derogatory comments about Hindu Goddesses and Hindu culture. In the eyes of the law, everyone is the same. So, action should be taken against Wazahat Khan,' Maitra said. Kolkata Police's Cyber Cell has asked Maitra to lodge his complaint with the designated cyber unit. DC (Port) Harikrishna Pai said, 'FIRs are lodged in other units. So, we are seeking legal options.'
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
What Did Sharmishta Panoli Say That Led To Her Arrest By Kolkata Police In Gurugram?
Last Updated: Panoli, a 22-year-old law student and a social media influencer, was arrested for allegedly making communal remarks linked to Operation Sindoor. The arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the Kolkata Police has triggered a political slugfest, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal over 'appeasement politics". Panoli, a 22-year-old law student studying in Pune's Symbiosis University and a social media influencer, was arrested from her residence in Haryana's Gurugram for allegedly making comments on religious lines linked to Operation Sindoor. She is a resident of Kolkata's Anandapur area. Panoli has over 80,000 followers on X and 90,000 followers on Instagram. She was taken to Kolkata through transit remand and produced before a court in Alipore, which sentenced her to judicial custody till June 13. Panoli's arrest drew sharp criticism from political leaders and even Dutch MP Geert Wilders, calling it politically motivated. What Did Sharmishta Panoli Say? In a now-deleted video, Panoli allegedly made remarks on religious lines and used abusive while criticising some Bollywood actors – particularly Muslim stars – for their silence during India's military operation against terrorists sheltered by Pakistan. The video triggered massive outrage and threatening messages on the influencer's posts. Police said the video contained 'derogatory and disrespectful" language targeting a particular religious community. Panoli deleted the video on May 15 and issued an unconditional apology, however, the Kolkata Police arrested her from Gurugram on Friday based on a complaint filed at the Garden Reach Police Station, alleging that she had promoted communal disharmony. However, Kolkata Police defended her arrest and said that claims surfacing online that Panoli was targeted for expressing patriotism or 'opposing Pakistan" in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor were 'misleading". The police said the case against Panoli was registered under the relevant sections of the newly implemented Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After proper investigation into the case, repeated attempts to serve legal notice to Panoli reportedly failed, with the police saying she was 'absconding." First Published: June 02, 2025, 21:31 IST
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Harakiri Arrest": Influencer Sharmishta Panoli's Lawyer On Police Action
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Law student and influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested in a controversial manner, with her lawyer claiming police bypassed arrest rules. Accused of inciting religious tensions, she is in judicial custody. Criticism of her arrest has surfaced. Kolkata: Law student and influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested in a "harakiri" manner and the police have bypassed the basic rules of arrest, her lawyer Mohammed Shamimuddin has said. "They went to her house. But there was no one at home so the police sought a warrant from magistrate and arrested her. They didn't attempt to contact her on the phone either. This shows how the police acted in a harakiri manner and the ground on which the Kolkata police custody was denied," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview. Ms Panoli, who has been accused of outraging religious feelings, promoting enmity between groups, deliberate insult to provoke breach of peace and incitement to public mischief, was placed in judicial custody by a court in Kolkata on Saturday. The 22-year-old was arrested from Gurugram on Friday, after her Instagram post had outraged many. The legal action came after she had tendered an unconditional apology and withdrew her post. Kolkata police have been criticized by many over her arrest and the manner of it and there has been a demand from many, including the Bar Council, that she be released. The video posted on May 14 - that has since been deleted, was apparently a response to comments from a Pakistani user. In it, the fourth-year law student had criticised Bollywood celebrities for their alleged silence on Operation Sindoor and made communally charged remarks that offended many and led to a call for her arrest. The Kolkata Police have maintained that they followed due process and made a lawful arrest based on the court's warrant. "The police are investigating why such statement was made by her and if she was provoked or other people involved. Her phone and laptop have been seized by the police. They have recorded her statement," her lawyer said. He also claimed that she has not been given access to a hygienic toilet, and her requests for newspapers and magazines have also has been denied. "We have brought this to the magistrate's attention. The jail super has been directed to file a report by June 4," he said. "The next legal recourse is being decided and will be taken in the next 2-3 days, and we will push for her bail," he added.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Sharmishta Panoli's arrest: BJP leader's 'Mamata Banerjee only works for Muslims' claim as she thanks Kangana Ranaut
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party leader Agnimitra Paul on Monday hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government for the arrest of Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli, and thanked the Bar Council of India and actor-politician Kangana Ranaut for coming out in support of the student. Citing the BCI and Kangana Ranaut's example, Agnimitra Paul also urged every Indian, be it a Hindu or a Muslim, to stand against this injustice. 'I thank the Bar Council and Kangana Ranaut (for standing by Panoli). Every Indian, Hindu and nationalist Muslim must stand against this injustice. We have seen so many posts from West Bengal lately abusing India, PM Narendra Modi, our Goddess Maa Kamakhya, after Operation Sindoor, but no action was taken,' the BJP leader said. The Kolkata Police had arrested Sharmishta Panoli, 22, for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, claiming Bollywood actors were silent on Operation Sindoor. A case against the woman was lodged at the Garden Reach Police Station on May 15 based on allegations that she posted a video that Kolkata Police claimed: "was insulting to the religious belief of a class of citizen of India and amounted to promoting disharmony and hatred between different communities". In what she termed as a wake-up call, Agnimitra Paul said, "It is a clear message from the Mamata government that if you are a Hindu or a Muslim who is abusing or saying something against Muslims, you will not be spared, but if it is the opposite, no action will be taken... Hindus of West Bengal also need to rise; they are sleeping under the cloud of secularism. We need to have a neutral government. The police of the state today only see a religion. No action was taken against Anubrata Mondal, a TMC leader who abused a police officer. The Mamata government only works for the Muslims, not for Hindus." The 22-year-old influencer, a resident of Kolkata and enrolled in Pune's Law University, was arrested from Gurugram on Friday night. She was on Saturday produced before a Kolkata court, which sent her in judicial custody till June 13. BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Sunday called for an immediate release and fair trial for Sharmishta Panoli. The senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member said that he was standing firmly with Panoli, whose arrest and judicial custody for a now-deleted social media video despite her immediate apology represented "an absolute failure of justice and a blatant assault on freedom of expression". "It is deeply troubling that the same government 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," said Mishra in a statement. A mere wrong choice of words cannot be called blasphemous and a young law student being made a scapegoat and subjected to harsh legal action, while past atrocities on particular communities by the government-sponsored persons and entities remained unaddressed was "unconscionable", the statement added. Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also urged for the release of THE influencer. "Harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good. When someone has apologised and deleted the post, but putting her in prison, torturing her, ending her career and raising questions on her character is very wrong. This should not happen with any daughter," Kangana told ANI. Further, she said, "I urge the West Bengal government not to try to make the state into North Korea. Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her indecent remarks. She had said everything in general and today's generation uses such language very normally- both in English and in Hindi. She should be released soon because she is a very young woman. She has her whole career and life ahead of her..."
