Maha: HC quashes case against Pune student over Instagram repost related to Operation Sindoor
Mumbai, Oct 27 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has brught an end to criminal proceedings against a 20-year-old engineering student from Pune who was arrested for allegedly sharing a controversial Instagram post amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following Operation Sindoor.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that the student's conduct had to be assessed in context, taking into account her limited role in sharing the material, her decision to remove it shortly afterwards and her subsequent apology. Justice Milind Jadhav, who presided over the single-judge bench, observed that young people should be given an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, particularly when the incident appears to be an isolated one.
The judge also noted that the student had already experienced custody, an ordeal that could have lasting consequences for someone at the beginning of her adult life.The case stemmed from an Instagram repost made on May 7, 2025, from an account named 'Reformistan'. The material reportedly accused the Indian government of provoking a conflict with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The student removed the post within approximately two hours after facing a wave of threats and later issued an apology. The court took particular note of the distinction between creating controversial material and sharing content that was already circulating online. The student had not authored the original post, and the judge considered this an important factor in assessing her individual responsibility.
While acknowledging that the material touched on sensitive religious issues and could potentially aggravate tensions between communities, the High Court stressed that the possibility of public anger or resentment cannot, on its own, justify criminal prosecution. Authorities must establish that the alleged conduct falls within the scope of the relevant legal provisions. The judge also attached significance to the circumstances surrounding the deletion. According to the order, the student removed the material voluntarily rather than in response to a direction from investigators.
Her subsequent expression of regret was another factor considered by the court when evaluating whether the incident indicated an intention to encourage religious hostility. The student had approached the High Court seeking to have the criminal case set aside. Advocate Farhana Shah who appeared on behalf of the student who hail from Jammu and Kashmir, had also challenged her rustication from the private educational institution, describing the disciplinary action as arbitrary and unlawful.
The matter had previously drawn judicial scrutiny in May 2025, when the High Court criticised the circumstances of her arrest and directed that she be released immediately. Operation Sindoor followed the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. India subsequently carried out strikes against nine sites identified as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
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