Boat Iftar Controversy: Varanasi Court Denies Bail

A Varanasi court denied bail for 14 people accused of holding an Iftar party on the Ganga river. The charges include offending religious sentiments, public nuisance, and pollution. The prosecution emphasized the seriousness of the accusations and the court acknowledged the grave nature, leading to the bail refusal.

A Varanasi court has declined the bail applications of 14 individuals who allegedly held an Iftar party on a boat in the Ganga river. The event, involving consuming chicken biryani, has led to charges of defiling a place of worship, public nuisance, and water pollution.

According to Shashank Shekhar Tripathi, counsel for complainant Rajat Jaiswal, the BJP Yuva Morcha's city unit chief, the court's Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Amit Kumar Yadav deemed the charges serious and non-bailable, making bail inappropriate at this time.

Prosecutors argued that the accused's actions were severe, risking interference with judicial proceedings if bail were granted. A video of the incident surfaced online, leading to a complaint and subsequent arrests. The plea also included further charges, like kidnapping, based on the boatman's coerced involvement in the event.

(With inputs from agencies.)