A court in Varanasi on Monday refused bail to all 14 Muslim men accused of organising an Iftar party on a boat in the Ganga, stating that the offences were serious and non-bailable. The decision was delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Amit Kumar Yadav-III.
The controversy began after a video of the accused breaking their fast on a boat went viral on social media, sparking outrage and allegations of hurting Hindu religious sentiments. According to the complaint filed by Rajat Jaiswal, city unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the men consumed chicken biryani on the boat and discarded its remains into the river.
The 14 accused, including 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, have been in judicial custody since March 19, 2026.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
The men were initially booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections 196(1)(b) for promoting enmity, 270 for public nuisance, 279 for fouling public water, 298 and 299 for acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and 223(b) related to disobedience of public orders. In addition, they were charged under Section 24 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Later, after complaints by the boat owners alleging that the men had forcibly taken control of the vessel, authorities added charges under Section 308(5) BNS, which deals with extortion under threat of death or grievous harm. They were also charged under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for transmitting material deemed lascivious or offensive.
Bail Plea Rejected
During the bail hearing, the accused’s counsel argued that the men had no criminal history and were falsely implicated due to personal enmity. They further contended that the viral video did not show any meat consumption and did not include the boatmen, who could verify the events.
Opposing the plea, Assistant Prosecutor Deepak Kumar emphasized the gravity of the offences, noting that they carry a punishment of up to 10 years in prison. He also pointed out that a second FIR had been filed, alleging that the accused had issued death threats to individuals connected to the complainant.
After reviewing the case, the court concluded that the charges were serious and non-bailable, and there were no sufficient grounds to grant bail at this stage.
