HC denies bail to social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli
03-Jun-2025 04:37 PM 8760
Kolkata, June 3 (Reporter) The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday denied bail to media influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli about her remarks on the Muslim community. The court directed the state government to produce the case diary before the next vacation bench on June 5. A single bench judge Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee observed that her comments had hurt the religious sentiments of a community and India being a secular country, freedom of speech should not be misused to hurt others. The judge ordered the state to produce the case diary on the next date of hearing when her interim bail application is to be heard on June 5. The court also directed that the Garden Reach police station case in connection with which 22-year-old Panoli was arrested from Gurugram will be investigated, while proceedings in all other FIRs in this regard will remain till further orders. The judge in his order said that the state will ensure that no further case will be registered on the alleged action of Panoli. The court also opined that one must be very careful while making comments in public in a diverse country like India. "Sentiments of a section of the people of our country have been hurt. We have freedom of speech, but that does not mean you hurt the sentiments of others. Our country is full of diversity," the court observed. Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee was hearing the plea filed by Panoli lawyer seeking quashing of the case registered against her and consolidation of the different first information reports (FIRs) over the video. The court also directed the jail authorities to ensure basic amenities are provided to Panoli, and the case in which she was arrested will be treated as the principal case. She is in judicial custody. Advocate DP Singh, appearing for the accused, submitted that even basic human rights were being denied to his client in jail. Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee appeared for the state of West Bengal and opposed the bail application. A city court on May 31 remanded Panoli in 14 days of judicial custody over an allegedly derogatory video hurting religious sentiments of Muslim community. The video was posted by Panoli on Instagram on May 14 in response to a question from a Pakistani follower regarding India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack...////...
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