"Law should be formulated against such people": SP MLA Abu Azmi reacts on influencer Sharmishta Panoli's arrest

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 31 (ANI): After Kolkata Police arrested social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi demanded stringent legal action against such people.

Speaking to ANI, Azmi said, “I have said it in the Parliament also 50 times, when someone hurts religious sentiments or disrespects important people of this country, like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatama Gandhi, or Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, then it worsens law and order… But our Maharashtra government is different. When MF Hussain drew pictures of gods and goddesses, which hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus, so many FIRs were filed against him that he had to run from India…”

“But the Congress and the BJP, pleased by the runaway woman Taslima Nasrin hurting religious sentiments, are keeping her in our country when no other country wants to keep her. A law should be formulated against such people which gives a punishment of at least 10 years,” he added.

Earlier today, a court in Kolkata remanded social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli, arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, in judicial custody for 14 days.

Kolkata Police has arrested Panoli from Gurugram, Haryana on Friday night. She is a law student in Pune, Maharashtra.

On Saturday, Panoli was produced before Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.

According to the Kolkata Police, several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but the attempts were unsuccessful because Panoli and her family absconded.

Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued by the court, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram on Friday.

“The case relates to an Instagram video by a lady named Sharmishta Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. FIR was lodged in Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve notice as per law couldn’t be successful since the accused, with her family absconded. Subsequently, warrant of arrest was issued by the court of law, based on which she was arrested from Gurgaon yesterday,” as per the Kolkata Police.

However, Panoli had deleted the video and issued an apology on May 15.

Speaking to ANI, influencer Sharmishta Panoli’s advocate, Md Samimuddin stated that they have moved her bail application before the court.

“We moved our bail application before the court, citing that the articles that have been allegedly stated by the prosecution to have been used, the mobile phone and the laptop, have already been seized. Subsequently, the court heard our prayer. The police custody prayer was sought by the prosecution, which was turned down and rejected. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody till 13th of June, 2025…” Sharmishta’s advocate said.

Meanwhile, in a social media post on X, Kolkata Police trashed the “factually incorrect” and “misleading” certain social media narratives suggesting that the arrest of the law student is “unlawful.”

Authorities urged the people to refrain from sharing unverified or speculative content. (ANI)

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