Plea in Kolkata court claims arrested influencer denied basic amenities in jail, threatened

The counsel for the 22-year-old female influencer, arrested for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, on Monday filed a petition in the Alipore Court here, alleging that she was denied basic amenities in jail and threatened by other inmates.

The court has sought a report in this regard by June 4, her lawyer Mohammed Samimuddin said.

''No proper hygiene is maintained inside the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. My client is being denied basic amenities. She has kidney-related issues and has not been keeping well. Her medical condition is delicate and may deteriorate in the absence of basic health and hygiene facilities. We have submitted a petition and the court has sought a report by June 4,'' Samimudding told PTI.

The petition also alleged that she was receiving ''multiple threats from other inmates inside the jail, causing her to fear for her safety and well-being''.

''These threats are creating an unsafe environment, seriously affecting her mental peace and physical safety,'' he said.

The Kolkata Police had arrested Sharmishtha Panoli from Haryana's Gurugram on Friday night for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments claiming Bollywood actors were silent on Operation Sindoor.

On Saturday, a court in Kolkata sent Panoli to judicial custody till June 13.

''In view of her medical condition and threats received, we have appealed for a separate room in judicial custody for safety and privacy, and to allow her to use a separate bathroom, in light of her kidney ailments and the need for hygiene,'' Samimudding added. The influencer has been booked under relevant sections for promoting enmity between different groups, malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, apart from intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)