Instagram Influencer Sharmistha Panoli’s Lawyer Asserts ‘Poor Hygiene’ In Kolkata Jail

Instagram influencer Sharmistha Panoli, arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly provoking communal tensions, is unwell and devoid of proper hygiene at the Alipore women’s correctional home, according to her advocate Md Samimuddin. He made the statement on Monday stating that her client has filed a petition in court seeking access to her basic rights. 

He also asserted that she also suffers from kidney stones and is not being given access to basic amenities like newspapers and magazines in the correctional home. While giving a statement to ANI, Samimuddin said that, “At Alipore women's correctional home, proper hygiene is not being maintained around her, and she is unwell. She has kidney stones. She is not being given access to newspapers and magazines. Today, we have filed a petition in the court so that she gets access to her basic rights. Sharmistha is innocent. We are trying our best to get out on bail.”

"We are trying our best to get her out of jail before June 13. We will sit down on the matter today and discuss it. We will take a call in one or two days about what we will do,” he added further.

What was the controversy?

Panoli, a student at Symbiosis International University, Pune, has over 90,000 followers on Instagram and a significant presence on X. The controversy erupted after a video she posted on 14 May, in which she criticised the silence of the Khans and other Bollywood actors regarding Operation Sindoor. Her video drew accusations of communal incitement. AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan flagged the video to the Union Home Minister, accusing Panoli of insulting the Prophet of Islam and seeking her arrest.

Despite deleting the post and issuing a public apology on 15 May, saying she "never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody" and would be "cautious" in future, a complaint had already been registered at Garden Reach police station in Kolkata. According to Kolkata Police, Panoli was evading notice, and a court-issued arrest warrant was executed after she was found absent during multiple attempts to serve summons.