Kol cops pick up law student from Ggn for post ‘hurting religious sentiments’
Times of India | 1 June 2025
Kolkata: A law student at Symbiosis International University in Pune was on Friday arrested from Gurgaon by a Kolkata Police team for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in a video she posted on Instagram. The girl, who had been evading arrest, was apprehended following a court arrest warrant, said police, adding they acted after multiple protests in Kolkata. Her Instagram post reportedly contained "disrespectful and derogatory remarks", targeting a religion, while responding to a post on Operation Sindoor that the Instagrammer claimed was made by a Pakistani national. The girl lived in Kolkata earlier."An FIR was lodged at the Garden Reach PS on May 15. Attempts to serve notice were not successful as the accused, with her family, absconded. A court issued an arrest warrant, based on which she was arrested from Gurgaon," said DC (port) Harikrishna Pai. Police said four FIRs had been pending against the student in Kolkata. The case has been registered under multiple sections, for promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. If convicted, she can face imprisonment, a fine or both.After the controversy broke out, the girl deleted her post and apologised on X, stating: "I do hereby tender my unconditional apology. Whatever was put are my personal feelings and I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody, so if anybody is hurt I'm sorry... I expect co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, I will be cautious in my public post. Again, please accept my apologies." She claimed she received rape and death threats. "I am sorry... Dear Indians, I have been trolled, threatened to be attacked and to be raped, murdered, taught a lesson for venting my anger towards radical Pakistani terrorists who killed my innocent countrymen... Mene wo sab saha, kyunki mere liye mera desh pehle aata hai," she shared. Vidya Yeravdekar, pro-VC at Symbiosis International University, said, "This incident is not a reflection of the college. The motto of Symbiosis is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which means the whole world is one family. Our ecosystem is such that we espouse respect for all religions and promote multiculturalism. We were shocked to see her post and took action as per the university code of conduct. A disciplinary committee was convened, which investigated the matter and gave the student a fair hearing. We issued her a notice on May 17, suspending her from all academic activities and debarred her from placements. She is a fourth-year student pursuing an integrated five-year law course. The students are on a break at the moment and have gone home. It is painful to see a student of ours hurting religious sentiments, and this goes against the very ethos of what Symbiosis stands for… ." About social media claims that the arrest was illegal, Kolkata Police said all legal procedures were followed. "We urge all concerned to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative content and to rely on authentic sources for information," KP posted on FB on Saturday. The girl was brought to Kolkata and the Alipore court on Saturday remanded her in judicial custody till June 13.