Who is Sharmishta Panoli? Why is she in trouble with Bollywood & has a legal fallout? Explained

A chatter that’s stirred online debates and legal discussions alike, 22-year-old Instagram influencer and law student Sharmistha Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurugram this past Saturday. Her arrest follows a firestorm sparked by a video she posted on social media, allegedly targeting Bollywood celebrities and making comments that police claim hurt religious sentiments.

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, a major anti-terror campaign launched by the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir. While the operation drew widespread attention for its success in neutralizing Pakistan-backed terrorists, it also became a flashpoint for commentary on social media. Among the voices was Panoli’s, whose video questioning the silence of Bollywood stars, especially the ‘Khans of Bollywood,’ went viral, but also drew major backlash.

Sharmistha Panoli is a fourth-year BBA LLB (Hons.) student at Symbiosis Law School, Pune, originally hailing from Kolkata. On social media, she carved a space for herself as a patriotically inclined voice, often speaking on national issues. However, her latest remarks in response to a Pakistani follower’s question after the Pahalgam terrorist attack seemed to have crossed a line for many.

The video, which has since been deleted, saw her strongly criticize certain Bollywood celebrities for their silence on Operation Sindoor, calling them hypocrites who only play patriotic roles on screen but fail to show support when the country faces real threats.

For those unfamiliar, Operation Sindoor was a large-scale counter-terror operation launched by the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir. Its goal was to eliminate Pakistan-supported terrorist elements operating in the region. The operation gained praise for being a swift and effective blow to terror networks, with the Indian Army reportedly neutralizing several militants. While the nation applauded the soldiers, a section of netizens, including Panoli, questioned why mainstream Bollywood stars hadn’t spoken up in support. It was during this wave of online patriotism that her controversial video appeared.

According to reports, her video didn’t just question celebrity silence. It allegedly contained statements perceived as offensive towards a particular religion, which led to sharp backlash. The matter escalated quickly. An FIR was filed at the Garden Reach Police Station in Kolkata on May 15 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including:

• Section 196(1)(a): Promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds
• Section 299: Deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings
• Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace
• Section 353(1)(c): Statements inciting public mischief

After the FIR, authorities attempted to serve legal notices to Panoli, but she and her family reportedly absconded, leading to a warrant of arrest. Eventually, she was traced and arrested in Gurgaon, and later produced before Alipore Court in Kolkata.

Following her video, Panoli’s social media was flooded with threats, some of them shockingly extreme. She shared screenshots of rape and death threats, and even alleged that emails targeting her and her family were being sent to her college authorities. Amid mounting pressure, she deleted the video and issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter).

“I apologize unconditionally. It was never my intention to hurt anyone,” she wrote, adding that she would be more cautious with her public posts in the future.

But despite her apology, the situation did not de-escalate. She claimed that she and her family were being forced to flee their home in Kolkata and take shelter in the Delhi NCR region due to safety concerns.

This incident has opened up a larger debate around freedom of expression, digital responsibility, and the legal boundaries of social media commentary in India. Panoli insists her comments were not driven by religious bias but by patriotic emotion. “I have no attachment to any religion. I simply questioned silence over the attacks on our soldiers,” she clarified in another post.

Her supporters argue that she is being penalized for speaking up against terror and asking tough questions of Bollywood. Critics, on the other hand, believe she crossed a line by targeting a specific community, which could incite communal tension.

The legal case against Panoli is now under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata police and court proceedings will determine the next steps.