New Delhi: “Is questioning injustice now a crime?” That’s the question echoing through India’s legal and academic circles after 22-year-old law student Sharmistha Panoli was arrested in Gurugram over a now-deleted social media post. Her crime? A video comment on Operation Sindoor, which state authorities deemed inflammatory. But to many, including the country’s legal fraternity, her arrest is not about law and order—it’s about silencing dissent.
The Bar Council of India’s Chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, called it what many fear it is: a blow to free speech in a country built on constitutional rights. As voices rise in her defence, a larger debate stirs—about selective outrage, political policing, and the fragile line between opinion and offense.
“I Stand With Sharmistha”: BCI Chairman’s Unflinching Statement
In a strongly worded press release, Mishra condemned the arrest as “unfortunate, excessive, and a blatant attack on civil liberties.” Sharmistha, he noted, had not only deleted the controversial video but issued a public apology. Still, she was taken into custody and remains behind bars.
“This is not justice. This is intimidation,” Mishra stated. “Her words may have been poorly chosen, but punishing her with arrest and judicial custody is both inhumane and unconstitutional.”
Selective Justice? Mishra Alleges Double Standards
The BCI chief didn’t stop at defending Sharmistha. He launched a scathing critique of the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police, accusing them of selective, community-based targeting and politically motivated crackdowns.
Citing past tragedies and incidents—the Marichjhapi massacre, Nandigram violence, political killings, and the Murshidabad riots—Mishra alleged that the state’s machinery has a pattern of inaction against serious violence, while acting swiftly against individuals who merely question or criticize policy decisions.
“Why are those who threaten lives protected, while a young student gets jailed for a post?” Mishra asked, echoing a sentiment growing louder on social media and legal forums.
The Operation Sindoor Controversy
Sharmistha’s video referenced Operation Sindoor, India’s covert drone strikes launched in retaliation to terror attacks. While the operation received widespread public and institutional backing, Sharmistha raised concerns about the double standards in how national security narratives are shaped and enforced.
In response, she was charged with spreading communal disharmony—a charge her defenders say has no legal basis in the absence of incitement or call to violence.
Mishra questioned the irony: “The same government that opposed anti-terror missions now jails a student for asking questions?”
A Cry for Constitutional Balance
Mishra’s statement has rekindled the urgent national debate around free speech vs. public order, especially in the digital age where outrage often precedes due process.
“Words can’t be treated like weapons unless they call for violence,” Mishra said, warning against turning blasphemy into a political tool.
He demanded Sharmistha’s immediate release, a fair and open legal hearing, and a rollback of laws being misused to silence dissent.
Sharmistha Panoli: A Student, Not a Symbol
At the heart of this political storm is a 22-year-old, reportedly preparing for her bar exams, now in judicial custody. Family members have described her as a “spirited, curious young woman who has never stepped outside the bounds of democratic dialogue.”
Legal aid groups and student unions across the country are calling for her release, with posters reading: “You can arrest a voice, but not a question.”
In a country whose Constitution begins with the words “We the People,” the question now isn’t whether Sharmistha was right or wrong. It’s whether she ever deserved to be arrested in the first place.
