A petition has been submitted to Alipore Court on behalf of 22-year-old Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli, currently held in judicial custody following her arrest for allegedly posting a video with communal remarks linked to Operation Sindoor.&nbsp;
The petition, filed on Monday by her legal representative, alleges inadequate hygiene and denial of essential facilities at the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. In response, the court has requested a detailed report by June 4.
Advocate Mohammed Samimuddin, representing Panoli, stated that his client is suffering from kidney-related issues and is not receiving the necessary care. &ldquo;No proper hygiene is maintained inside the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. My client is being denied basic amenities. She has kidney-related issues and has not been feeling well. We have submitted a petition and the court has sought a report by June 4,&rdquo; Samimuddin told a news agency.&nbsp;
He added, &ldquo;We are trying our best to get her out of jail before June 13. We will sit down on the matter today and discuss it. We will take a call in one or two days about what we will do.&rdquo;
Panoli was taken into custody by Kolkata Police on Friday night from Gurugram, Haryana. She was brought to Kolkata and presented in court the following day, where she was remanded to judicial custody until June 13.&nbsp;
Authorities have charged her under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for promoting enmity between groups, committing acts intended to offend religious sentiments, and delivering intentional insults likely to provoke a breach of peace.
In defence of the arrest, Kolkata Police issued a public statement via Facebook on Sunday, asserting that the action was conducted lawfully and followed due procedure. &ldquo;Kolkata Police acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law. The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities,&rdquo; the statement read.
According to the police, Panoli had evaded multiple attempts to serve a notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which permits arrest without a warrant under specific conditions.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The case was duly investigated and adhering to legal procedures, several attempts were made to serve notice under Section 35 of BNSS to the accused but every time she was found absconding. Consequently a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon during day time. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate Magistrate and was granted transit remand as per due process of law. Later the court sent her to judicial custody,&rdquo; the police noted.
They also addressed circulating claims on social media that Panoli had been arrested for opposing Pakistan, labelling such assertions as &ldquo;mischievous and misleading.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Some social media accounts are spreading false information that Kolkata Police has unlawfully arrested a law student for opposing Pakistan. This narrative is mischievous and misleading,&rdquo; the statement continued.
The complaint against Panoli, filed at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15, alleges that her video insulted the religious beliefs of a segment of Indian citizens and encouraged inter-community discord. The charges were framed under the relevant sections of the BNS.&nbsp;
Kolkata Police emphasised that the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, does not extend to hate speech or the use of abusive language. &ldquo;Hate speech and abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. We urge all concerned to act responsibly and refrain from doing anything that would benefit our enemies,&rdquo; the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, political criticism of the arrest has emerged. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar condemned the police action, accusing the state administration of political bias.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Sharmistha Panoli, 22, a law student, arrested for a now-deleted video and a public apology. No riots. No unrest. Yet Mamata Banerjee's police acted overnight &mdash; not for justice, but for appeasement. But when TMC leaders insult Sanatan Dharma&hellip; mock Maha Kumbh and push communal poison &mdash; there's no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is vote-bank vendetta,&rdquo; Majumdar stated.
Panoli remains in custody as legal proceedings continue, with her counsel pursuing bail and judicial review of the conditions under which she is being held.
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Influencer Sharmishta Panoli alleges poor hygiene and denial of basic amenities in Alipore jail; court orders report.

Lawyer Files Petition Over Influencer’s Jail Treatment

Influencer Sharmishta Panoli alleges poor hygiene and denial of basic amenities in Alipore jail; court orders report.

June 2, 2025 | 18:45 IST