Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee of the Calcutta High Court is facing a wave of online abuse and death threats after denying bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli on June 3. Panoli was arrested for allegedly posting a communally sensitive video, despite later deleting it and issuing an unconditional apology.
KOLKATA: A disturbing online campaign of threats and abuse has erupted against Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee after he rejected the bail plea of social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli. The influencer had been accused of posting a video containing communally sensitive remarks.
On June 3, Justice Chatterjee refused to grant bail to Panoli, who had already apologised unconditionally and deleted the controversial video. Despite her apology, she was arrested after multiple FIRs were lodged against her.
The judge remarked during the hearing “This video was made on social media, it was heard, and this incident has led to a section of people’s sentiments being hurt.”
This observation triggered a massive wave of online hate, with anonymous users on X (formerly Twitter) issuing vile and violent threats against the judge.
One user, Toshali, wrote “This scum bong – Partha Sarathi Chatterjee – deserves kambal kutai…or some unknown gunmen…Hindus need their unknown gunmen in India…for that fear to seep in to such cretin judges.”
Another user, @rohitkumar23595, replied “Kill Partha Sarathi Chatterjee.”
These threats referenced Luigi Mangione, an American man accused of killing a CEO in 2023, implying the judge deserved a similar fate.
India Today Fact Check investigated and found that many of these threatening accounts were anonymous, often featuring cartoon avatars, sportspersons, or symbols like coins as profile pictures. Most had been created recently, with some dating back only to May 2025.
One account under the name Adi went a step further, attempting to doxx the judge by posting a National Green Tribunal link containing his official biography.
Adi wrote “Let’s see if we can find his home address.”
Another user, Rupesh Reddi, added “Anyone know his address? Or mobile number? Please do share.”
Some users didn’t issue direct threats but hinted at violent outcomes.
A parody account featuring WWE star Becky Lynch’s image posted “Public should take care of him whenever he is spotted in public place.”
Another cryptic post read “Prime time to set an example… That’s all I will say. Off-topic: the French Revolution was a crazy moment in history, right?”
The French Revolution, known for its mass executions including that of King Louis XVI, was used here as an ominous reference.
Another user named Sentinel posted a veiled warning “Well, let’s hope it does not come to ‘the judge should have thought of the consequences before denying bail’, considering the threats she is under. What will he say then?”
Background
Sharmishta Panoli, who hails from Pune, is known for making bold and strong statements in her videos on social media. She had earlier posted content criticising Pakistan and had recently spoken in support of India’s Operation Sindoor.
In one of her latest now-deleted videos, she allegedly made communal comments while targeting several Bollywood celebrities for not speaking out about Operation Sindoor.
According to the police, her video on Instagram contained “derogatory and disrespectful” remarks aimed at a particular religious community.
The video spread rapidly online, drawing strong criticism from the public. Some users even sent her threatening messages over her comments.
After facing heavy backlash, Panoli removed the video and issued a public apology through her account on X (formerly Twitter).
In her statement, she said,
“Whatever was put are my personal feelings and I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody. If anybody is hurt, I’m sorry for the same. Henceforth, I will be cautious in my public post.”
However, police officials said that even after the video was deleted, legal notices were sent to her multiple times, but she and her family remained untraceable.
Due to this, a court issued an arrest warrant against her. Eventually, the police located her in Gurugram and arrested her.
CASE TITLE:
SHAMISHTA PANOLI @ SHARMISHTA PANOLI RAJ vs STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.
WPA/12361/2025
