Who Is Sharmishta Panoli? Pawan Kalyan Slams Her Arrest For Controversial Video Linked To Operation Sindoor

Sharmishta Panoli arrest: On a late Friday night in Gurugram, Haryana, 22-year-old Sharmishta Panoli, a law student from Pune, found herself in custody. The Instagram influencer trended on social media as she was arrested by Kolkata Police.

WHO IS SHARMISHTA PANOLI? WHY SHE GOT ARRESTED?

Her arrest, orchestrated by the Kolkata Police, stemmed from a video she posted on social media that was deemed controversial and incited widespread online outrage. The video, which criticized Bollywood celebrities including the Khans for their silence on "Operation Sindoor," led to severe backlash from netizens, who accused Panoli of engaging in hate speech. She was heavily trolled online and had to issue an apology for the same on social media.

The controversy surrounding Panoli escalated quickly, with the social media influencer facing a barrage of threatening messages and heavy trolling.

In response to the negative attention, Panoli swiftly removed the contentious post from her Instagram account and extended a public apology for her actions.

Despite her efforts to quell the uproar, the damage had been done. An FIR was filed against her in Kolkata, propelling authorities to undertake several attempts to serve legal notices to her and her family. However, Panoli's evasion led to a court issuing an arrest warrant, resulting in her detention in Gurugram.

Panoli's legal troubles stem from allegations of promoting enmity between different groups on various grounds including religion, race, and community, among others. The FIR against her includes serious charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Despite the uproar and her subsequent arrest, Panoli has taken steps to mitigate the fallout. She has made her Instagram account private and deleted all content from her other social media handle. However, in a story highlight posted on May 15, she offered an unconditional apology, expressing regret for any hurt her remarks may have caused and stating that it was never her intention to offend anyone's religious sentiments.

The legal proceedings against Panoli are set to continue. She is expected to appear before a Kolkata court on May 31.

PAWAN KALYAN REACTS TO SHARMISHTA'S ARREST

Actor and politician Pawan Kalyan extended support to Sharmishta following her arrest, stating that she owned her mistake, deleted the post and apologised for her actions.

"During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest? (sic)," he tweeted.

"Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn't a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all. #IstandwithSharmistha. #EqualJustice," Kalyan wrote as he questioned elected political leaders for 'mocking Sanatan Dharma'.

Stay tuned for more updates.