Kolkata Police arrests social media influencer for making communal remarks on Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam attacks

Kolkata Police clarifies arrest of social media influencer for communal posts was lawful, sparking online debate.

A social media influencer was arrested by the Kolkata Police on Friday (May 30, 2025) for posting communal statements on social media. An uproar started on social media, and many said that her arrest was unlawful. In response, the police on Saturday (May 31, 2025) clarified that the social media claims of an unlawful arrest of a law student are factually incorrect; all legal procedures were followed, including a court-issued warrant.

This comes after a woman named Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student in Pune made a video on social media sharing anti-Islamic comments and used verbal slurs while talking about Pakistan in relation to the recent Pahalgam attack which took the life of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir. The video shows her making claims about ‘Operation Sindoor’ without due proof.

Reportedly, a case was registered against Ms. Panoli at the Garden Reach Police station in Kolkata on May 15. She was arrested on Friday (May 30, 2025) from Gurugram, Haryana, by the Kolkata Police.

Ms. Panoli later deleted her post from her social media handle and apologised for her comments.

“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,” Ms Panoli said on a social media post on May 15.

After her arrest, multiple social media handles called it ‘unlawful’ and claimed that the police were being ‘selective’ and ‘bias’. Many called for her release and started a hashtag campaign ‘#ReleaseSharmistha’ and ‘FreeSharmistha’.

“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,” Kolkata Police officials said in an official clarification.