Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli arrested in Gurugram over controversial post on Operation Sindoor

Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police in Gurugram, Haryana, on Saturday after a controversial video she posted online sparked widespread backlash. In the video, Panoli criticized Bollywood actors for staying silent on Operation Sindoor—a military response by India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists. The operation, launched on May 7, targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Panoli, a law student at a university in Pune, accused Hindi film celebrities of ignoring the issue. Her video quickly went viral and stirred strong reactions on social media, including trolling and threats. Amid growing outrage, she deleted the video and posted an apology. However, by then, Kolkata Police had already registered a complaint against her.

Authorities attempted to send legal notices to Panoli and her family, but police sources told PTI that she had distanced herself from her family, making it difficult to reach her. With the notices going unanswered, police brought the matter to court, which then issued an arrest warrant.

On Friday night, she was located and taken into custody in Gurugram by officers from the Kolkata Police. A senior official confirmed, “Several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but they had gone missing. The matter was then placed before the court, which issued an arrest warrant. She was arrested on Friday night in Gurugram.”