Sharmishta Panoli, a 22-year-old social media influencer from Kolkata, has been granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court. She was arrested on May 31 for posting a communally sensitive video related to Operation Sindoor. The post was a response to questions about India’s military action after the Pahalgam attack.

The bail comes a day after Kolkata Police filed a first information report (FIR) against Wajahat Khan Qadri, whose complaint led to Panoli’s arrest. Qadri faces charges of hurting religious sentiments and is currently absconding. An Assam Police team has arrived in Kolkata with an arrest warrant for him. Earlier this week, Assam Police registered a case against Qadri for hate speech and derogatory social media posts.

Panoli was arrested last week in Gurugram after her Instagram post sparked protests. Her arrest caused a political dispute, with the BJP and its allies criticizing the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. She was sent to judicial custody for 14 days after being produced in court

Sharmishta Panoli also received international attention. Geert Wilders, a Dutch parliament member and leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, called her arrest a “disgrace for freedom of speech.” He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure her release.

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