The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments.
Kolkata Police on June 4, lodged an FIR against Wajahat Khan Qadri, who initially complained against remarks made by Panoli on social media. Multiple complaints were lodged in various parts of the country, including Mumbai and Assam, accusing him of spreading hate speech and making derogatory remarks against religious deities in social media posts.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments.
The court held that the complaint against her does not disclose any cognisable offence.
Panoli, a law student, was arrested from Gurugram in Haryana last week, after an FIR was filed against her at the Garden Reach Police Station in Kolkata in the wake of a viral video where she made controversial remarks criticising Bollywood actors on Operation Sindoor.
The police had maintained that her now-deleted video had 바카라derogatory and disrespectful바카라 comments against a minority community.
Kolkata Police on June 4, lodged an FIR against Wajahat Khan Qadri, who initially complained against remarks made by Panoli on social media. Multiple complaints were lodged in various parts of the country, including Mumbai and Assam, accusing him of spreading hate speech and making derogatory remarks against religious deities in social media posts.
The bench of Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury ordered that she be enlarged on bail bond and security of Rs 10,000, and directed her to cooperate with the investigation into the case.
The court also directed her not to leave the country without its permission.
The high court further directed the police to provide protection to Panoli, as she complained of having received threats following her social media post.
Kolkata Police has registered an FIR against Wajahat Khan Qadri, the man whose complaint led to the arrest of social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, for hurting religious sentiments, and he is now absconding, reported PTI.
An FIR has been registered based on a police complaint which accused him of uploading "malicious and inflammatory" content on social media, aimed at hurting the sentiments of a religious community.
"He (Wajahat Khan Qadri) is presently absconding. We have started an investigation into the case," a senior Kolkata Police officer told PTI.
A trust, Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, has lodged a complaint against Wajahat Khan Qadri at Kolkata's Garden Reach police station. It is the same police station where he filed the complaint against Sharmishta Panoli.
Qadri's family members have defended him, claiming he is "innocent and secular".
The head of the Rashidi Foundation and a resident of Kolkata's Garden Reach, Qadri is currently absconding, police confirmed on Wednesday.
The Kolkata Police arrested Sharmishtha Panoli on the basis of a complaint by him from Gurugram on Friday night for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments claiming Bollywood actors were silent on Operation Sindoor.