The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to 22-year-old law student and influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested last week for allegedly posting a communal video related to Operation Sindoor that triggered widespread outrage online. The court granted her bail against a bond of ₹10,000. Stating that the warrant had been issued “mechanically,” Justice Chowdhury remarked that there was no need to keep Sharmistha in custody. “The arrest warrant was issued mechanically. The accused is a law student, and there is no need to keep her in custody for interrogation,” said Justice Chowdhury.
Taking serious note of the online threats Sharmistha has been receiving, the High Court also directed the police to provide her with protection. However, as a condition of bail, Sharmistha is not permitted to leave the country and must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
What Was the Allegation?
An FIR was lodged against Sharmistha by Wajahat Khan Qadri, accusing her of hurting religious sentiments through a now-deleted video in which she criticized the silence of Bollywood actors on Operation Sindoor. The FIR was registered at Kolkata’s Garden Reach Police Station. Acting on the complaint, Kolkata Police arrested her from Gurugram, Haryana.
However, in a surprising twist, Qadri—the original complainant—is now absconding. A senior police official involved in the investigation confirmed, “He is currently untraceable. We are actively working to locate him and take the investigation forward.”
FIR Against the Complainant
Interestingly, a second FIR has now been filed against Qadri—also at the Garden Reach police station—by a Kolkata-based organization, Shri Ram Swabhiman Trust. The complaint accuses Qadri of promoting hate speech and making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities on social media.
Further, multiple complaints have surfaced from Mumbai and Assam alleging Qadri’s consistent pattern of provocative and communal content online. In the wake of the mounting legal pressure, Qadri’s family has come forward in his defense, asserting that he has “always respected all religions” and claiming that he has been “misrepresented and wrongly targeted.”
Qadri Missing, Family Untraceable
On Wednesday, following Kolkata Police’s failure to locate Qadri, a team from Assam Police arrived at his residence in Garden Reach. However, the house was found locked, and none of his family members, including his father Saadat Khan, who had been summoned for questioning, were present.
A senior member of the Rashidi Foundation, also a resident of the area, confirmed that Qadri had gone underground. Authorities from multiple states are now coordinating to trace his whereabouts as legal pressure mounts.
