A video showing five men allegedly cooking chicken and drinking beer on a boat in the Ganga river in Varanasi has sparked outrage, leading to their arrest by police.
The accused have been identified as Deepak Kumar, Ajay Sahni, Arun Kumar Sahni, Anurag Nishad and Rahul Sahni, all residents of Ramnagar. Their ages are said to be between 20 and 31 years.
According to police, the video went viral on social media on June 22. In the clip, the men are seen sitting on a boat in the middle of the Ganga, cooking chicken on a stove and drinking beer while recording the gathering.
A voice in the video is heard introducing the group and saying, “Chicken is being prepared, we are having a party, and here is our beer.”
Police Action After Viral Video
After the video surfaced online, Uttar Pradesh Police took immediate action and identified the people seen in it. They were arrested on June 23 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Dasashwamedh ACP Atul Anjan Tripathi said the police acted as soon as the clip came to light.
He said, “As soon as the video went viral, police took cognisance and identified those seen in it. They were arrested and the boat used in the incident has also been seized.”
Police believe the video may be old, possibly from winter, as the people in it were seen wearing warm clothes.
Court Grants Bail
The accused were produced before a court on June 24 and were granted bail within 24 hours.
Their lawyer said the court released them after they submitted personal bonds and two sureties of Rs 20,000 each.
Similar Incident Earlier This Year
This is not the first such controversy in Varanasi. In March this year, another video showed a group of Muslim youths holding an iftar party on a boat in the Ganga during Ramadan. In that case, 14 Muslim youths were arrested by the police and spent several weeks in jail before later getting bail from the Allahabad High Court.
