Throwing non-veg food waste in Ganga could hurt religious sentiments: Allahabad HC on iftar party row
“The applicants apologize for their actions and even their families feel remorse for the pain caused to the society at large,” Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla said while granting bail to five people accused of throwing food waste into the river during an iftar dinner on a boat in Varanasi. he said.
“Considering all the facts and circumstances of the case, the absence of criminal background of the applicants, the period of detention already spent and also the apology expressed as recorded above, a prima facie case for bail is opened,” the court said.
In an order passed on May 15, Justice Shukla granted bail to the accused applicants Mohammad Azad Ali, Mohammad Tahseem, Nihal Afridi, Mohammad Tauseef Ahmad and Mohammad Anas.
According to the ruling, the current case involves members of the Muslim community hosting an iftar party.
“It is said that during the Iftar party in question, during the meal, non-vegetarian food was allegedly consumed by members of the Muslim community, who later threw the remains into the Ganges River. In the impartial opinion of the court, this fact can rightly be said to have hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community,” the court said.
The applicants, who have been in prison since 17 March 2026, expressed their remorse and pledged never to repeat such an act in the future. In the same case, Judge Jitendra Kumar Sinha granted bail to three accused, Mohammad Sameer, Mohammad Ahmad Raza and Mohammad Faizan, on May 15.
The FIR was lodged on March 16 following a complaint by Rajat Jaiswal, president of the Varanasi branch of the BJP Yuva Morcha, who alleged that the incident had hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
Allegedly, the defendant broke his Ramadan fast on a boat on the Ganges on March 15, ate meat and threw the remaining meat into the holy river.
Polluting places of worship of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), insulting religious sentiments etc. Action was taken against them under different legal provisions, including the relevant sections.
On April 1, a sessions court in Varanasi had refused bail to the accused, saying they intended to disrupt social harmony.
