Student Sharmistha Panoli, studying in Pune, denied bail by court: Sent to 14-day judicial custody

Case pertains to allegedly objectionable remarks about Muslims while responding to a Pakistani woman who had criticized India over ‘Operation Sindoor’

Sharmishtha Panoli

Kolkata (Bengal) – Sharmistha Panoli, a law student studying in Pune, was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurugram in Haryana over allegedly objectionable remarks against Muslims in response to a post about ‘Operation Sindoor’. She was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her to 14 days of judicial custody.

We are no longer followers of Mahatma Gandhi!

Sharmistha had posted a video on her Instagram account. In the video, while responding to a Pakistani woman, she allegedly made remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Addressing the Pakistani woman, she said: “Have you heard about the attack in Pahalgam and the other terrorists your country supports? Should we not respond to that? We are no longer followers of Mahatma Gandhi!”

A complaint was filed against Sharmistha based on this video. She later deleted the video from her account and issued an apology. In another video, she strongly criticized Bollywood actor and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, stating that both he and the actor had taken a soft stand against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. She labeled their stance as “hypocrisy.”

Death threats issued from Pakistan

After Sharmistha posted the video, she received threats from Pakistan, including calls for “Sar tan se juda”(beheading). There were also demands to file a criminal case against her.

Editorial Perspective

After arresting a student for replying to a Pakistani woman, one must ask — are the Kolkata Police working for India or Pakistan ? This shows that Mamata Banerjee’s government is not just pro-Pakistan but has effectively become Pakistani. Will the Union Government finally dissolve Mamata Banerjee’s government ?