US EditionSharmistha Panoli Row: Kolkata Police Justifies Arrest of Influencer, Says They 'Acted Lawfully'
- Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law and business student from Pune and social media influencer, was arrested on Friday night in Gurugram for a controversial Instagram video related to Operation Sindoor.
- The arrest followed an FIR filed last month at Kolkata's Garden Reach police station for alleged remarks in the video that hurt religious sentiments and promoted enmity between groups.
- Kolkata Police stated they followed due legal process after Panoli and her family went into hiding, charging her with offenses related to promoting enmity between religious groups, deliberately offending religious sentiments, and provoking public disorder as specified in the Indian penal code.
- Panoli was produced before Kolkata's Alipore Court and remanded to 14-day judicial custody until June 13, while political leaders and commentators criticized the arrest as politically motivated and a misuse of police powers.
- This incident highlights ongoing tensions over the policing of speech in India, where individuals face legal action for expression on sensitive topics despite Supreme Court rulings protecting speech unless it incites imminent lawless action.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Calcutta HC denies bail to Sharmishta Panoli over remarks on Prophet Muhammad
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, June 3, directed the West Bengal government to produce the case diary in connection with the arrest of law student Sharmistha Panoli on June 5, when her interim bail prayer will be heard again. Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, who presided over the matter, while denying ad-interim bail, said, “Look, we have freedom of speech, but that doesn’t mean you will go on to hurt others,” reported Live Law. T…
Sharmistha Panoli Latest News: An FIR has now been filed against Wajahat Khan, who filed a complaint in the Sharmistha Panoli case. It is alleged that he tried to spread hatred and hurt religious sentiments by using objectionable language on social media.
TMC is endangering the life of Sharmishta Panoli with its dangerous rhetoric, just to appease its Muslim vote bank
The high-handedness of the Mamata-run administration did not stop at merely rationalising the arrest of the 22-year-old college girl or ignoring the objectionable posts made by Wazahat Khan. The TMC ecosystem went ahead and painted a target on the head of Sharmihsta Panoli, who was already being hounded by an online Muslim lynch mob.
All Legal Procedures Followed While Arresting Female Instagram Influencer: Kolkata Police
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Kolkata Police have dismissed criticisms that they have "unlawfully" arrested a 22-year-old female Instagram influencer for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, and claimed that all legal procedures were followed. India News | All Legal Procedures Followed While Arresting Female Instagram Influencer: Kolkata Police.
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