00:00On May 30th, 2025, this girl was dragged to the police jeep, detained in Gurugram, arrested by Kolkata police.
00:11She is just 22 years old, a fourth-year law student at Pune Law University and a prominent social media influencer, Sharmishtha Panoli.
00:19But what did she do?
00:20On May 14th, 2025, Sharmishtha Panoli posted a video criticizing Bollywood's silence on Operation Sindur.
00:26Some of the phrases she used were seen as communally charged.
00:30Leading to multiple FIIs.
00:31She deleted the video and apologized.
00:33But on May 30th, she was arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody in Kolkata.
00:38She is currently lodged at Alipur Women's Correctional Home in Kolkata.
00:41Her lawyer has since raised concerns about her declining health due to kidney stones and poor jail conditions,
00:47alleging that she is being denied basic medical and human rights.
00:50The Calcutta High Court denied her interim bail four days after the arrest, stating freedom of speech isn't absolute and that it cannot hurt religious sentiments.
00:58The case sparked debates on digital responsibility, free expression and law enforcement's role.
01:03With over 1 lakh followers on Instagram and over 89,000 on X, Sharmishtha Panoli gained significant attention for her candid commentary on socio-political issues.
01:12However, one controversial video sparked major backlash and legal action and she even received rape and death threats.
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