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‘Horrible 20-25 days’: Kin relieved after Pune student, held for sharing Op Sindoor post, released from jail

The student sought that the Bombay High Court quash her college rustication and she be allowed to appear for the semester exams that began May 24.

Hearing the student's plea on Tuesday, Bombay High Court said that she should be released from jail to appear for exams. (File Photo)

Hearing the student's plea on Tuesday, a vacation bench of Justices Gauri V Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan said that she should be released from jail to appear for exams. (File Photo)

The 19-year-old Pune student arrested earlier this month over a social media reshare on Operation Sindoor was released from Yerwada Jail around 9:30 pm on Tuesday, after the Bombay High Court granted her bail the same day. Coming down heavily on the police and the Sinhgad Academy of Engineering for rusticating her, the court said that instead of reformation, the authorities seemed “bent on ruining her life”.

The student sought that the Bombay High Court quash her college rustication and she be allowed to appear for the semester exams that began May 24. In its order, the court accepted these demands and also allowed her to approach the Savitribai Phule Pune University, under which the Sinhgad Academy operates, to appear for the papers she missed while she was lodged in jail.

The student’s uncle, while waiting outside the jail for her to be released, told The Indian Express, “We trust the Indian Constitution, that’s it. Based on that we have fought this fight and got her released. Choti si galti ka rai ka pahad bana diya (they have made a big deal out of a small mistake). Our kid is back at our house, we are happy about that.”

He added, “Who will fight with these people? For no reason 20-25 days of ours have been horrible. It is an invisible force, one can only fight against a visible force. We are not politicians. We earn to eat and live our lives. We are an educated family and we have nothing to do with all this. It is a small mistake, a small thing that she didn’t see before reposting. People took screenshots of that and made it a big thing.”

Another relative said, “We have been waiting here since 5:30 pm. Earlier we were told that they would not release her till 7 in the morning as they do not release inmates after sundown.”

Farhana Shah, representing the student in the Bombay High Court, submitted that she had not written the post herself but only shared a post. She deleted the post in two hours and also apologized for it, the counsel submitted. The court accepted this in its order and said, “There is no dispute that immediately within two hours, the petitioner deleted the post and she publicly expressed remorse and tendered an apology.”

The bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan rapped the authorities during the court hearing and said, “She accepted she made a mistake and removed it. You need to reform her. You need to help her, or you want to convert her into a criminal?”

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Her lawyer in Pune H D Sayyed told The Indian Express, “It is a landmark judgement. After the release their investigation will go on, but we will discuss and our client can decide to apply for quashing the case in the Bombay High court.”

Multiple calls to Principal of Sinhgad Academy of Engineering Kishore Patil went unanswered.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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