Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to law student Sharmishta Panoli on Thursday, following her arrest for allegedly posting an offensive video targeting Muslims in connection with Operation Sindoor.
Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury ordered Panoli’s release on a bond, directing her to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and confirm the bail with the magistrate. The court also mandated police protection for Panoli, citing threats she faced after her personal details were exposed in the complaint.
Advocate General Kishore Datta, representing the state, argued that Panoli was on the run and apprehended outside Bengal. He submitted that the complaint disclosed a cognizable offense, obligating police to register an FIR and presented evidence of disturbances caused by her remarks.
Datta requested the case be referred to the regular bench, noting prior observations by a coordinate bench that had earlier denied Panoli interim bail, emphasising that freedom of speech does not permit hurting religious sentiments.
Panoli’s counsel countered that her arrest violated her fundamental rights, as no notice was served. He argued that the complaint did not constitute a cognizable offense, stating: “Blasphemy is not in the law of the land.” He cited bail grants in similar cases, including a Pune student and Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
Justice Basu Chowdhury, acknowledging the prior bench’s observations, reviewed the FIR and determined that no further custodial interrogation was needed. Panoli, a fourth-year law student, was accused of sharing blasphemous remarks against Prophet Mohammed on social media accounts, sparking widespread backlash. She deleted the content and issued an apology the following day but an FIR was registered against her on May 15, 2025, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Arrest warrants were issued on May 17 and she was apprehended in Gurugram after allegedly evading authorities. Her plea challenged the trial court’s remand order, which had placed her in 14 days of judicial custody, and raised concerns over the legality of her arrest due to the lack of prior notice.