‘Blatant misuse of...’: Karti P Chidambaram slams arrest of influencer over post on Operation Sindoor

Karti P Chidambaram has denounced the arrest of law student and Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli, calling it a "blatant misuse of police powers." The Congress MP raised concerns over the growing trend of interstate arrests for social media posts, stating such actions are unjustifiable unless they clearly trigger a law and order situation.

In a post on X (formally Twitter), Karti wrote, “These interstate arrests for social media posts (unless it’s clearly demonstrated that it has led to a law & order situation) is blatantly a misuse of police powers.” 

Sharmishta Panoli was arrested by the Kolkata Police from Gurugram, Haryana, on the night of May 30. The action followed a viral video in which she reportedly criticised Bollywood actors for remaining silent on Operation Sindoor. The video, posted on her Instagram, attracted severe backlash, with users posting trolling comments and sending her threatening messages.

Panoli later deleted the video and issued an apology, but by then, the Kolkata Police had already registered a complaint. Legal notices were subsequently issued to her and her family, though police sources told PTI that Panoli had distanced herself from her family.

She was brought to Kolkata on transit remand and presented before the Alipore Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on May 31. The court denied the request for police custody and remanded her to judicial custody until June 13.

As she was being taken away, Panoli remarked, “The harassment you have done being in a democracy, this is not what democracy is.”

Her advocate, Md Samimuddin, confirmed that a bail application was submitted. “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...,” Samimuddin stated.