Bombay HC quashes case against student over Operation Sindoor Instagram repost

The Bombay High Court quashed the case against a student who reposted contentious content after Operation Sindoor. The ruling stressed her limited role, prompt deletion, remorse and the lasting impact of custody.Image used for representational purposes onlyMumbai,Oct 27, 2026 12:42 ISTThe Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed a criminal case against a 20-year-old engineering student who reposted a controversial comment following Operation Sindoor, news agency Press Trust of India reported. The court said it was an isolated act, followed by voluntary deletion of the post and an expression of remorse.Justice Milind Jadhav said the student deserved another chance and noted that she had already spent time in custody. “That in itself for a young student is a scar which cannot be erased easily,” he said.The student, who attended a private college in Pune, was arrested on May 9, 2025, over the Instagram repost linked to India-Pakistan tensions after Operation Sindoor.Justice Jadhav observed that the incident appeared to be an isolated act of reposting content, followed by its voluntary deletion and an expression of remorse, probably because of her youth. The High Court also noted that the student was not the author or creator of the original post. “The post is undoubtedly contentious, arousing passion and hatred. However, the applicant's role is confined to re-posting the said post which was already available on the social media platform,” the court said.The content concerned religion and religious sentiments and, therefore, had to be considered with sensitivity and responsibility in a society comprising people from different religious communities, Justice Jadhav said. “At first glance, it is seen that the contents of the post may have had the potential to create apprehension of disturbance between religious communities. However, the mere possibility that a publication may cause displeasure or resentment cannot, by itself, constitute sufficient ground for criminal prosecution,” the order said.The court said criminal law could not be invoked merely because a publication was considered offensive unless the conduct was prohibited by law.According to Press Trust of India, the student deleted the post within two hours and immediately expressed remorse and publicly apologised for reposting it. The court noted that she deleted it voluntarily and not on the directions of the investigating agency.There was no deliberate attempt by the student to promote religious hostility, Justice Jadhav said.On May 7 last year, the student reposted content from an Instagram account called Reformistan, which criticised the Indian government for provoking a war against Pakistan. She deleted it within two hours after realising her mistake and receiving a barrage of threats.The student had challenged her rustication from the institute, describing the action as “arbitrary and unlawful”. She had also sought the quashing of the first information report against her.In May last year, the High Court criticised her arrest and ordered her immediate release.Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year. India carried out precision air strikes on nine terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Press Trust of India described it as India's most daring cross-border military action since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.The High Court has now quashed the criminal case, citing the student's limited role in reposting the content, its prompt deletion, her apology and the time she had already spent in custody.- Ends