Bombay High Court quashes FIR against Pune student for social media post regarding Operation Sindoor

A female student from a private college in Pune was arrested on 9 May 2025 for a controversial Instagram post related to India-Pakistan tensions following Operation Sindoor. | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (Oct 27, 2026) quashed the criminal case against a 20-year-old engineering student for reposting a controversial post-Operation Sindoor comment, noting that the post was an isolated act followed by voluntary deletion and remorse.

A chance should be given in such cases, single justice Milind Jadhav said, noting that the student was already in custody.

“That in itself is a scar on a young student that cannot be easily erased,” Justice Jadhav said.

A female student from a private college in Pune was arrested on 9 May 2025 for a controversial Instagram post related to India-Pakistan tensions following Operation Sindoor.

Also read | A student was released from a Pune jail for posting on the India-Pakistan conflict

Justice Jadhav noted that the accused was a young student and the incident appeared to be an isolated act of reposting (the content) followed by his voluntary deletion and expression of remorse, presumably due to the exuberance of youth and age.

The student was not the author or creator of the original post, the HC said in its order.

“The post is undoubtedly controversial, inciting passion and hatred. However, the role of the applicant (student) is limited to reposting the said post which was already available on the social media platform,” it said.

The particular content reposted by the student was related to religion and religious sentiments and therefore the same needs to be viewed sensitively and responsibly, especially in a society comprising persons belonging to different religious communities, Justice Jadhav said.

Also read | Bombay HC refuses to quash FIR against Pune student over Operation Sindoor post

“On the face of it, the content of the post may have had the potential to cause concern of disruption among religious communities, however, the mere possibility that publication may cause displeasure or displeasure cannot in itself constitute sufficient grounds for prosecution,” the order said.

The criminal law cannot be set in motion simply because a particular publication is perceived as offensive if the conduct does not fall within the prohibition laid down by the law, the court said.

The student deleted her post within two hours and also publicly expressed remorse and immediately apologized for reposting the content, the HC noted.

It is pertinent to note that the immediate deletion of the post was a conscious decision on her part and was not in compliance with any order issued by the investigating agency. There was no deliberate attempt on the part of the student to promote religious enmity, Justice Jadhav said.

Also read | HC raps Maharashtra govt, college for arresting and rusticating student for social media post

On May 7 last year, a student reposted content on Instagram from an account called “Reformistan” that criticized the Indian government for provoking a war against Pakistan. She realized her mistake within two hours and deleted the post after receiving a barrage of threats.

The student challenged her “rustication” by the institute over her alleged objectionable contribution, claiming that the said procedure was “arbitrary and illegal”. She also demanded quashing of the FIR against her.

The High Court criticized her arrest in May last year and ordered her immediate release.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 14:16 IST