Sun Jun 01 20:51:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article re-written from it:
**Summary:**
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, has strongly condemned the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli, an Instagram influencer and law student, by Kolkata Police. Panoli was arrested for a social media post questioning the silence of Hindi film actors regarding “Operation Sindoor,” a counter-terror operation. Mishra argues that Panoli’s arrest is an assault on freedom of expression, highlighting a double standard where atrocities against certain communities are unaddressed while a young student faces severe legal action for a “wrong choice of words.” He demands her immediate release, a fair trial, and an end to selective targeting by the Bengal government.
**News Article:**
**BCI Chairman Demands Release of Influencer Arrested Over Social Media Post**
**New Delhi, June 2, 2025** – Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI), has issued a strong statement demanding the immediate release and fair trial of Sharmishta Panoli, a 22-year-old Instagram influencer arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday. Panoli, a law student from Pune, was apprehended in Gurugram over a now-deleted social media post questioning the silence of Hindi film actors on “Operation Sindoor,” a counter-terror operation.
Mishra, a senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member, described Panoli’s arrest and subsequent judicial custody until June 13th as “an absolute failure of justice and a blatant assault on freedom of expression,” especially considering her immediate apology for the post.
The BCI Chairman accused the Bengal government of hypocrisy, stating, “It is deeply troubling that the same government that opposed Operation Sindoor…now seeks to silence a young law student for questioning such similar double standards.”
Mishra emphasized the disproportionate response to Panoli’s post, arguing that a “mere wrong choice of words cannot be called blasphemous.” He contrasted this with the perceived lack of accountability for “past atrocities on particular communities by the government-sponsored persons and entities.”
“True democracy demands impartiality, restraint and the equal protection of rights, not selective outrage and vendetta,” Mishra asserted. He called on the Bengal government and police to “abandon this dangerous path of targeting select voices and to uphold the rule of law for all.” He concluded by reiterating his demand for Panoli’s immediate release, a fair trial, and an end to what he called the “double standards” plaguing the state’s administration of justice.
First Piper 