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What did Sharmishta Panoli say in the controversial video that led to her arrest?
A law student in Maharashtra's Pune, Sharmishta Panoli's advocate, Md Samimuddin, stated that they have moved her bail application before the court.
Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested on Friday for an alleged controversial communal statement linked to Operation Sindoor. Hours after her arrest, she was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.
Sharmishta Panoli's advocate, Md Samimuddin, stated that they have moved her bail application before the court.
"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 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.
Meanwhile, in a social media post on X, Kolkata Police trashed the "factually incorrect" and "misleading" certain social media narratives suggesting that the arrest of the law student is "unlawful."
What did Sharmishta Panoli say?
The content creator was arrested over a complaint against a now-deleted video she uploaded, allegedly making communal comments and claiming Bollywood actors were silent on Operation Sindoor, reports said on Saturday.
Panoli was reportedly replying to a user, possibly a Pakistani, who asked why India opened fire at Pakistan without any valid reason.
Here's what Panoli said in the now-deleted video: "Earlier, I used to think Nabi was delusional as he thought 72 hoors would be waiting for them in heaven, but this woman is even more delusional, she thinks India opened fire without any reason. Have you heard of the Pahalgam attack and other terrorists that your nation has been sponsoring? Should we not retaliate? We are not the devotees of Mahatma Gandhi anymore?"
Sharmishta Panoli allegedly also used abusive words in the video.
In seemingly another video, Panoli heavily criticised Bollywood actor and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia for their lenient stance on Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack. She used abusive language to describe what she termed as their “hypocrisy.”
Charges against Sharmishta Panoli?
As per police, the FIR was lodged under sections 196(1) (a) promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community, 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens), 352 ( intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace), 353(1)(c) (statements that incite public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
