BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra Demands Immediate Release and Fair Trial for Influencer Sharmishta Panoli

By Law Trend | June 2, 2025 10:54 AM

Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra has strongly criticized the arrest and judicial custody of Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli, labeling it as an attack on freedom of expression and a failure of justice.

Sharmishta Panoli, a 22-year-old law student at Pune’s Law University and a resident of Kolkata, was apprehended by Kolkata Police in Gurugram on Friday for a social media post where she allegedly commented on Bollywood celebrities’ silence regarding Operation Sindoor, a recent counter-terrorism initiative. The post was deleted, and she promptly issued a public apology.

She appeared before a Kolkata court on Saturday, which remanded her to judicial custody until June 13.

In a strongly-worded statement, Mishra expressed deep concern over the government’s actions, stating that targeting a young law student for voicing opinions is unacceptable, especially after opposing Operation Sindoor, which aimed to avenge innocent lives lost.

Mishra highlighted that using inappropriate words should not be equated with blasphemy and criticized the government for not addressing alleged atrocities against specific communities while penalizing a student for her remarks.

As a Rajya Sabha member, Mishra stressed the importance of impartiality and restraint in a democratic society, emphasizing the need for equal protection of rights and denouncing selective outrage and vendetta.

He called upon the West Bengal government and its police to refrain from silencing dissenting voices and to uphold the rule of law. Mishra demanded the immediate release of Sharmishta, a fair trial, and an end to the double standards prevalent in the state’s justice system.

Amid growing concerns over freedom of speech and expression, Mishra’s stance has drawn attention to the need for protecting individuals’ rights to voice their opinions without fear of reprisal.

For more legal news and updates, visit Law Trend.