Iftar on Boat: Varanasi Court Denies Bail to Accused, 'Extortion' Charge Added
Varanasi court denies bail to 14 accused in Ganga iftar boat incident.
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On 23 March 2026, a Varanasi court denied bail to 14 individuals who had been arrested for allegedly organising an iftar party on a boat in the Ganga river. The accused were charged with multiple offences, including defiling a place of worship, promoting enmity, and causing public nuisance. The incident reportedly took place on 15 March 2026, and the accused have remained in judicial custody since their arrest on 17 March 2026.
According to Live Law, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Amit Kumar Yadav, observed that the alleged offences were of a serious and non-bailable nature. The court order stated that there were no sufficient grounds to grant bail at this stage, given the gravity of the charges and the ongoing investigation.
As reported by Deccan Herald, the prosecution argued that granting bail could interfere with the judicial process. The accused were booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to injuring or defiling a place of worship, deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, public nuisance, and fouling water of a public spring or reservoir, as well as provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
During the hearing, court proceedings revealed that charges of extortion were added after the boat operator and his relative alleged that the accused had forcibly taken the motorboat by issuing threats. The defence counsel stated that the accused had no prior criminal history and argued that they were falsely implicated, but the court found these arguments insufficient for bail at this stage.
The incident came to light after a video of the iftar gathering was circulated on social media, prompting a complaint by Rajat Jaiswal, the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). The police used the video as evidence to identify and arrest the accused as coverage revealed.
"The crimes committed by the accused were of a serious nature and non-bailable. Therefore, keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, there are no sufficient grounds to grant bail to the accused," the court order stated.
Further details indicated that the accused were charged under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for allegedly publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form, after the video of the incident was shared online. The prosecution also cited the potential for severe punishment, with some charges carrying up to ten years of imprisonment as analysis showed.
On 19 March 2026, the court remanded the accused to judicial custody for 14 days. The defence maintained that no meat items were recovered from the accused and that the viral video did not show any visuals of meat consumption. However, the court determined that the investigation was ongoing and that the defence arguments could not be fully assessed at this stage as details emerged.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the religious sensitivities involved and the legal implications of the charges. The accused remain in Varanasi District Jail, and their counsel has indicated plans to file a fresh bail application in the sessions court following reports.
“Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, there are no sufficient grounds to grant bail to the accused,” the judge said.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.