Was Sharmishta Panoli Arrested Under Pressure, as Her Father Claims?

Kolkata, June 5 (NationPress) Prithiviraj Panoli, the father of social media influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli, currently in judicial custody regarding a contentious post about Operation Sindoor, disclosed on Thursday that his daughter was apprehended under "pressure".

In an exclusive dialogue with IANS, Prithiviraj Panoli unveiled several lesser-known aspects of the entire situation.

Here are some key excerpts:

IANS: Is the Mamata government specifically targeting Sharmishta?

Prithiviraj Panoli: We are engaged in a legal battle. Whether there’s politics involved is irrelevant to us; our main goal is to secure our daughter's release.

IANS: Do you believe Sharmishta's arrest is due to appeasement politics?

Prithiviraj Panoli: I'd prefer not to delve into that. Sharmishta is a proud Hindu and would never intentionally harm anyone. If she inadvertently offended someone, that's a different issue. While I won't speculate on the reasons for the case against her, it's evident there was significant pressure on the government to take action.

IANS: Is Sharmishta at risk while in prison?

Prithiviraj Panoli: According to prison protocols, I contacted her two days ago. She is facing challenges related to her medication. Sharmishta requires medication for her kidneys and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can only be accessed with a prescription, and we are struggling to provide it quickly. Additionally, she is dealing with mosquito issues, and there was no fan available. She is in distress.

IANS: What is Sharmishta's mental state in jail?

Prithiviraj Panoli: She has been in shock since she was transported from Gurugram and her bail was denied. Her lawyer and I have tried to reassure her. You might have seen her viral video where she expressed that this isn’t democracy. As a law student, one can imagine the toll it has taken on her mental health, especially since all charges against her are bailable.

IANS: Would you prefer the case be moved out of West Bengal?

Prithiviraj Panoli: I cannot comment on that at this moment. We’ll decide after consulting our lawyer.

IANS: Sharmishta's college has suspended her. What are her next steps?

Prithiviraj Panoli: She is currently doing an internship but has missed two exams due to her suspension. We are confident the college will assist us, and we plan to discuss this once she is released.

IANS: Were you aware of her controversial post on Operation Sindoor?

Prithiviraj Panoli: Sharmishta lives in Pune, while my wife and I are in Kolkata. She would share her posts with us, which often had abusive comments. Being from an older generation, I disapproved of the abusive language. However, she reassured me that there was no cause for concern. I was unaware of the specifics of her Operation Sindoor post; she likely did not grasp the implications of her words.

IANS: Have you received any assistance from West Bengal's BJP unit?

Prithiviraj Panoli: Our focus is on the legal aspect. We have received support from Hindu organizations. She worships Goddess Saraswati, and many have visited her in prison. While I don’t want to politicize this issue, we have considerable backing from Hindu groups.

For those unfamiliar, an FIR was lodged against Sharmishta on May 15 in West Bengal following her Instagram video, which allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of a specific community.

She was apprehended in Gurugram, Haryana, and subsequently transported to Kolkata on transit remand. A court has remanded her to judicial custody until June 13.