Kolkata, June 5: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was recently arrested for allegedly making controversial comments related to ‘Operation Sindoor’ on social media.
The court also directed Panoli to submit a bail bond of Rs 10,000.
As per reports, the 22-year-old was arrested by Kolkata Police last week from Gurugram, Haryana. She was accused of hurting religious sentiments by making communal remarks in a video shared online. The video criticised Bollywood actors in relation to Operation Sindoor.
After facing strong criticism, Panoli deleted the video and posted an apology.
Earlier this week, the court had denied her interim bail. Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee had said, "Look, we have freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean you will go on to hurt others. Our country is diverse, with people from different castes, creeds, and religions. We must be cautious by saying this. So, the day after tomorrow. Heavens will not fall.”
The court also asked the West Bengal government to present the case diary on June 5.
Panoli's lawyer argued that no real offence was committed. He explained that the comments were made during a heated exchange between social media users in India and Pakistan. Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, including many tourists.
Her arrest sparked political controversy in West Bengal. The BJP criticized it as “selective enforcement” and accused the Kolkata Police of acting too quickly.
