Calcutta High Court Grants Interim Bail to Pune Law Student Sharmistha Panoli

Kolkata, 5th June 2025: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to 22-year-old law student Sharmistha Panoli from Pune, who was arrested for allegedly sharing a video deemed “offensive” and “communal” in nature. The arrest had sparked a wider debate on free speech, due process, and police action.

Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, while pronouncing the order, took into account Panoli’s age, her academic background, and her willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The court granted her interim bail on a surety bond of Rs 10,000 and instructed that she must not leave the country without prior approval from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, should her education require it.

The judge also directed the police to provide adequate security to Panoli, after hearing her legal counsel’s submissions about alleged threats she received following the video’s circulation. Raising concerns over procedural lapses, Justice Chowdhury questioned the issuance of the arrest warrant, noting that it appeared to have been issued “mechanically.” The judge observed that the complaint lacked clarity on whether any cognisable offence had actually been committed and that the video in question wasn’t even referenced in the original complaint.

“The magistrate says the report is awaited, and the video doesn’t seem to be in the case diary. So did the police even examine it?” Justice Chowdhury asked during the hearing.

The state’s Advocate General countered these claims by stating that Panoli was evading arrest and was ultimately apprehended in Gurgaon, Haryana. He informed the court that she had left for Delhi on 20th May, and after her video went viral and led to public protests, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed, and police visited her home multiple times but couldn’t locate her. Subsequently, a court-issued warrant led to her arrest on 30th May, followed by her being brought to Kolkata on transit remand.

In her defense, Panoli’s lawyer stated she is a student based in Pune and that the video was related to “Operation Sindoor,” a verbal altercation online in response to a post by a Pakistani national. Her counsel argued that she deleted the video on 8th May and that the charges lacked legal standing, stating, “Blasphemy is not a law in India.”

Justice Chowdhury questioned how her educational institution and personal details had become public knowledge, expressing concern about her safety and the privacy breach. The judge remarked that those who threatened Panoli also need to face legal consequences, stating, “If she can be apprehended, why haven’t those threatening her been caught? It is shameful that her modesty has been outraged in public images.”

Panoli’s father, Prithviraj Panoli, welcomed the court’s decision. He said, “As parents, we were terrified. The threats were real, and the fear was constant. We are relieved. She can now return to her normal life. She is a bright student and has learned from this experience. We did not ask her to delete the video, she chose to do it on her own.”

This interim bail comes just two days after another single bench of the High Court, led by Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, had denied Panoli’s earlier bail plea and demanded the case diary be produced.

Panoli remains in judicial custody till 13th June, and further proceedings are awaited as the investigation continues.