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The Calcutta High Court has denied interim relief to Sharmistha Panoli in the offensive video case and directed the state to submit the case diary at the next hearing. Stay updated with the latest legal developments.
Calcutta High Court Denies Interim Bail to Law Student in Offensive Video Case
On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court declined to grant ad-interim bail to law student Sharmistha Panoli, who was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody by the Trial Court.
Panoli’s plea also challenged the legality of her remand. The case stems from a video she allegedly posted, which was considered offensive for targeting individuals based on their religious identity, linked to the ongoing controversy surrounding “Operation Sindoor.” The High Court directed the State to produce the case diary during the next hearing.
Sharmistha Panoli, a student at Symbiosis Law School, has been arrested in Gurugram following allegations of posting blasphemous content about Prophet Mohammad on social media platforms Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). After facing significant backlash, Panoli deleted the controversial posts and issued a public apology on X. However, an FIR was filed against her on May 15, 2025, and arrest warrants were issued on May 17, 2025.
The Calcutta High Court has denied interim relief to Panoli in the case concerning the offensive video and has directed the state to produce the case diary at the next hearing.
Panoli’s lawyer contended that her arrest was unlawful, arguing that the offences listed in the FIR were non-cognisable in nature and that she was not served a notice prior to the arrest — a step that is mandatory under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The state counsel informed the court that although a notice had been issued, it could not be served because Sharmistha Panoli and her family had allegedly fled to Gurgaon. Following her arrest in Gurgaon, the Kolkata Police produced her before a magistrate, who granted a three-day police remand. She was subsequently brought to Kolkata. It was also noted that her bail application had been heard and rejected by the trial court.
