Social Media Influencer Faces Judicial Custody Following Arrest for Allegedly Derogatory Online Content
The legal repercussions continue for social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli, who was taken into custody concerning an Instagram video deemed offensive to a specific religious community. A Kolkata court on Saturday ordered Panoli to 14 days of judicial custody, according to reports from ANI.
Panoli’s apprehension occurred on Friday night in Gurugram, Haryana, following an investigation by Kolkata Police. Notably, she is a law student based in Pune, Maharashtra. After her arrest, authorities presented Panoli before the Alipore Court in Kolkata on Saturday, where the judicial custody order was issued, extending until June 13th, 2025.
Kolkata Police have stated that their initial efforts to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family proved futile, alleging that they had absconded to evade the legal process. This evasion subsequently led the court to issue a warrant for Panoli’s arrest, culminating in her capture in Gurugram.
Providing context to the situation, Kolkata Police, as quoted by ANI, explained, “The case originates from an Instagram video by Sharmishta Panoli that caused hurt to the religious sentiments of a particular community. An FIR was registered at Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve a notice according to legal procedures were unsuccessful due to the accused and her family fleeing. Consequently, a warrant for arrest was issued by the court, leading to her arrest in Gurgaon yesterday.”
It’s worth noting that Panoli had taken down the controversial video and issued a public apology on May 15th.
Defense Files Bail Application
Sharmishta Panoli’s legal representative, advocate Md Samimuddin, has confirmed that a bail application has been submitted to the court on her behalf. Samimuddin stated, “We presented our bail application before the court, arguing that the items purportedly used in the alleged offense, namely the mobile phone and the laptop, have already been confiscated. Following this, the court heard our plea. The prosecution sought police custody, but this request was denied and rejected. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody until the 13th of June, 2025.”
Police Denounce “Misleading” Social Media Claims
Kolkata Police have actively refuted what they describe as “factually incorrect” and “misleading” narratives circulating on social media platform X. These narratives suggested that Panoli’s arrest was unlawful.
In an official statement, Kolkata Police asserted, “Regarding Garden Reach Police Station Case No. 136 dated 15.05.2025, certain social media narratives implying an illegal arrest of a law student are factually incorrect and misleading.”
The police further clarified, “All legal procedures were duly adhered to. Numerous attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found to have absconded on each occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, leading to her lawful apprehension in Gurugram. Subsequently, she was presented before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand in accordance with due process of law.”
Kolkata Police concluded their statement by urging “all concerned to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative content and to rely on authentic sources for information.”
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