Allahabad High Court Defers Bail Hearing in Varanasi Ganga Iftar Case to April 27
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court on Friday scheduled April 27 as the next date of hearing in a bail plea filed by one of the youths accused in the controversial Ganga Iftar case in Varanasi.
The case has drawn attention due to allegations that an Iftar gathering was organised on the holy river, during which non-vegetarian food was consumed, and waste was allegedly discarded into the Ganga.
The order was passed by Justice Vivek Varma while hearing the bail application of Danish Saifi, one of the accused in the case.
During the proceedings, the court was informed that a similar bail plea filed by a co-accused is also scheduled for hearing on April 27. In order to maintain consistency, the court decided to align the dates and hear both matters together.
This is not the first time the case has come up for hearing. Earlier, on April 17, the High Court had granted the state government a week’s time to file its counter affidavit and had listed the matter for April 24.
However, with related pleas now pending, the matter has been deferred to April 27.
The defence has consistently maintained that the accused youths have been falsely implicated and that the allegations against them are exaggerated.
On the other hand, the state counsel has opposed the bail plea, seeking time to present a detailed response through a counter-affidavit.
The case traces back to March 16, when an FIR was registered at Kotwali police station in Varanasi based on a complaint by Rajat Jaiswal, a local leader associated with the BJP Yuva Morcha.
According to the complaint, a group of young men had gathered on a boat in the Ganga on March 15 to break their Ramzan fast.
It was alleged that they consumed non-vegetarian food and threw leftovers, including bones, into the river—actions that, the complainant claimed, hurt religious sentiments.
Following the complaint, the accused were arrested, and several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were invoked against them. These included sections related to defiling a place of worship, outraging religious sentiments, and later, even extortion.
Earlier this month, a sessions court in Varanasi had rejected the bail pleas of the accused. In its order dated April 1, the court observed that the actions of the accused appeared to have the potential to disturb social harmony.
As the case now returns to the High Court, all eyes are on the upcoming hearing on April 27, which could prove significant in determining the immediate legal relief for the accused while also shaping the course of the proceedings ahead.
