Kolkata Police rejected claims of "unlawful" arrest of a 22-year-old Instagram influencer for alleged communal remarks, asserting that they followed all legal protocols.

They defended the arrest of influencer Sharmistha Panoli, saying that the case was "duly investigated and adhering to legal procedures".

"Kolkata Police acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law. The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities," Kolkata Police posted on Facebook on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.