‘Serious Offence’: Varanasi Court Denies Bail to 14 Arrested Over Hosting Iftar Party in Ganga River; Accused Face Up to 10 Years Under New BNS Sections

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Varanasi Court Rejects Bail For 14 Accused In Ganga Boat Iftar Case

A Varanasi court on Monday, March 23, 2026, rejected the bail applications of 14 people who were arrested last week for hosting an Iftar party on a boat in the Ganga River. The group is accused of allegedly consuming chicken biryani on the boat and dumping the leftovers into the holy river. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Amit Kumar Yadav passed the order, stating that the alleged offenses are of a serious and non-bailable nature.

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The 14 accused have been identified as Azad Ali, Aamir Kaifi, Danish Saifi, Mohd. Ahmed, Nehal Afridi, Mahfooz Alam, Mohd. Anas, Mohd. Awwal, Mohd. Tehseem, Mohd. Ahmed alias Raja, Mohd. Noor Ismail, Mohd. Tauseef Ahmed, Mohd. Faizan, and Mohd. Sameer. They were arrested on March 17, 2026, and have been in judicial custody since March 19, 2026.

The arrests followed a viral video of the incident, prompting Rajat Jaiswal, the city unit chief of the BJP Yuva Morcha, to file a written complaint. Jaiswal alleged that the act was deliberate and deeply hurt religious sentiments, emphasizing the sanctity of the Ganga River to Hindus.

Stringent Charges Under BNS

Initially, the police booked the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These include Section 298 (defiling a place of worship with intent to insult a religion), Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), Section 196(1)(B) (promoting enmity between different groups), Section 270 (public nuisance), Section 279 (fouling water of a public reservoir), and Section 223(B) (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant). They were also charged under Section 24 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

Defense Alleges Harassment And Lack Of Evidence

The defense counsel argued that the accused did not commit any offensive act and were being harassed due to personal enmity. Maintaining their innocence, the counsel stated that the accused are responsible, law-abiding citizens with no prior criminal history. The defense further argued that the viral video showed no visuals of chicken or mutton, nor did it show the boatmen, thereby contesting the prosecution's demand to keep the accused behind bars.

Prosecution Cites Forceful Takeover Of Boat

Conversely, Assistant Prosecution Officer Deepak Kumar strongly opposed the bail pleas. The prosecution argued that the accused committed grave offenses carrying severe punishments, including defiling a place of worship and causing water pollution, and that granting bail could interfere with the judicial process.

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The prosecution also alleged that the accused forcibly took over the boat. Based on the recorded statements of the two boatmen, Anil Sahani and Ranjan Sahani, the police added a charge under Section 308(5) of the BNS, which deals with extortion under threat of death or grievous harm. This specific charge carries a provision of up to 10 years' imprisonment.

Following the rejection of their bail, the 14 accused will remain in jail as their 14-day judicial remand continues.

(Rh)

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