Pune law student Sharmistha Panoli arrested by Kolkata police for social media post on Operation Sindoor

Pune law student arrested by Kolkata police for social media post on Operation Sindoor (Image: X)

A law student from Pune, identified as Sharmistha Panoli, was arrested by Kolkata Police late Friday night from Gurugram for allegedly posting offensive content on social media while replying to a post on Operation Sindoor.

According to police sources, Panoli had uploaded a video on Instagram containing "disrespectful and derogatory remarks" in response to a post related targeting a particular religion.

Though the video was later deleted, it had already gone viral, triggering widespread outrage and leading to a formal police complaint in Kolkata. An FIR was registered against her by Kolkata Police.

"The case pertains to an Instagram video by a woman named Sharmistha Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of members of a particular community," a senior police officer said.

Authorities claimed that multiple attempts to serve Panoli a legal notice were unsuccessful, as she and her family had allegedly absconded. Following this, a court issued a warrant of arrest, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram.

Following the controversy, Panoli issued an unconditional public apology via social media.

In a post on X, she wrote, "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. Again, please accept my apologies."