Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to All 14 Accused in Varanasi Ganga Iftar Party Case

The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted bail to the remaining six accused in the controversial Varanasi Ganga Iftar Party case, paving the way for the release from jail of all 14 accused persons.

The case had triggered widespread public debate after allegations surfaced that members of a group organized an Iftar gathering on a boat in the holy river Ganga in Varanasi, consumed non-vegetarian food during the event, and allegedly threw food waste and bones into the river.

The incident had drawn strong reactions from several Hindu organizations and local political workers, who claimed that the act hurt religious sentiments and disturbed communal harmony.

Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla passed the latest order while hearing the bail pleas of the six remaining accused.

The court observed that eight co-accused had already been granted bail on May 15 by different courts in connection with the same matter.

Considering parity in the case, the court held that the remaining applicants were also entitled to be released on similar terms.

While hearing the matter, the High Court acknowledged the sensitivity of the allegations linked to the sanctity of the river Ganga.

The court noted that the allegations, if true, could naturally hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.

However, the court clarified that the primary issue before it at this stage was not the final determination of guilt, but whether the accused deserved bail during the pendency of the investigation and trial.

In its observations, the court stated that the incident involved members of the Muslim community organizing a Roza Iftar gathering where non-vegetarian food was allegedly consumed, and remnants were reportedly thrown into the Ganga river.

The court remarked that such conduct could reasonably offend religious feelings. Nevertheless, it emphasized that continued incarceration of the accused was not necessary for the ongoing investigation.

The High Court further observed that the concerns raised by the prosecution regarding a possible larger conspiracy aimed at disturbing communal harmony would not be adversely affected if the accused were released on bail.

The investigation into the alleged conspiracy, including the origin of funding for the Iftar gathering and the uploading of the video on social media, could continue independently without keeping the applicants behind bars.

During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi strongly opposed the bail pleas.

He argued that the accused had not only disrespected the sanctity of the river Ganga but had also deliberately uploaded the video of the gathering on Instagram through the account of one of the accused, Mohd. Tahseem, with the intention of provoking communal unrest.

The prosecution further contended that the matter was not an isolated act but potentially part of a larger and organized attempt to disturb social harmony.

The state government informed the court that the investigation was still underway to determine who financed the event and who played a role in circulating the video online.

The Additional Advocate General also highlighted before the court that none of the accused had denied their presence in the viral video linked to the case.

Despite the prosecution’s objections, the High Court took into consideration several factors while granting relief to the accused.

The court noted that the applicants had been in judicial custody since March 17, 2026, had no prior criminal history, and had expressed regret over the incident.

According to submissions made on behalf of the accused, they also assured the court that no such act would be repeated in the future.

Taking into account the overall circumstances, the court concluded that a prima facie case for granting bail was made out.

Accordingly, the six accused were ordered to be released on bail upon furnishing personal bonds and two reliable heavy sureties each to the satisfaction of the concerned court.

The controversy began after an FIR was registered on March 16, 2026, at Kotwali Police Station in Varanasi on the complaint of Rajat Jaiswal, president of BJP Yuva Morcha.

In his complaint, he alleged that the actions of the group during the Iftar gathering had deeply hurt the sentiments of a particular community.

According to the FIR, a group of Muslim youths had gathered on a boat in the Ganga river on March 15 to break their Ramzan fast.

They were accused of consuming meat on the boat and disposing of food leftovers and bones into the sacred river.

Following the complaint, police arrested the accused and invoked several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to defiling a place of worship, outraging religious sentiments, and later, extortion.

Earlier in the case, a sessions court in Varanasi had denied bail to the accused on April 1, observing that their actions appeared to have been carried out with the intention of disturbing social harmony.

With the latest order of the High Court, all 14 accused persons in the Ganga Iftar Party case have now secured bail, even as the investigation into the alleged conspiracy and social media circulation of the video continues.