The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to eight of the 14 Muslim men arrested in connection with the Varanasi boat Iftar party case, where they were accused of consuming non-vegetarian food on a boat in the Ganga river and allegedly throwing leftovers into the water.
The bail orders were passed by Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla and Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha in separate hearings. Those granted bail include Mohammad Azad Ali, Mohammad Tahseem, Nihal Afridi, Mohammad Tauseef, Mohammad Anas, Mohammad Sameer, Mohammad Ahmed Raza and Mohammad Faizan.
The accused had approached the High Court after their bail pleas were earlier rejected by both the Chief Judicial Magistrate court and a sessions court in Varanasi.
Arrested After Video of Boat Iftar Went Viral
The case relates to an Iftar gathering held on March 15 on a boat in the Ganga river in Varanasi during Ramadan. Videos from the event, showing young men eating fruits, soft drinks and chicken biryani during Iftar, were later shared on social media.
After the videos went viral, local BJP and Hindu right-wing groups objected to the gathering. A complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Rajat Jaiswal at Kotwali police station.
Police arrested all 14 accused within hours of the FIR being lodged on March 16.
The FIR alleged that eating non-vegetarian food on a boat in the “sacred” Ganga river and allegedly throwing leftovers into the water had hurt Hindu religious sentiments.
The accused were booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to promoting enmity, hurting religious sentiments, public nuisance and polluting water bodies, along with provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
Police Claimed Boat Was “Hijacked”
During an earlier hearing, Uttar Pradesh Police told the High Court that the group had allegedly “hijacked” the boat after threatening the boatman and forcing him to take them into the middle of the river for the Iftar party.
Police also claimed the event was deliberately filmed and uploaded online to send a message “not only in Banaras but across the country.”
According to the prosecution, the videos first showed a mosque before shifting to visuals of the Ganga river and the decorated dining arrangement on the boat. Separate clips of biryani being served were also recorded.
However, lawyers for the accused argued that the allegations were exaggerated and politically motivated. They maintained that the young men had only gathered for Iftar during Ramadan and had committed no serious offence warranting prolonged jail custody.
Remaining Bail Pleas to Be Heard on May 18
The remaining six accused are still in jail, and their bail applications are expected to be heard by the High Court on May 18.
Most of the accused belong to the Madanpura area of Varanasi and are reportedly between 19 and 25 years old. Family members have maintained that the youths were unfairly targeted after the videos attracted political attention online.
