Varanasi Court denies bail to fourteen accused in the controversial Iftar on Ganga case citing serious offences under BNS, IT Act and Water Pollution Act.
Case in NewsVaranasi Court Denies Bail In Ganga Iftar Case involving 14 accused booked over Iftar on Ganga controversy. |
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Case Overview
Case Name: State vs. Azad Ali & Ors. (Iftar on Ganga Case)
The Varanasi Court denied bail to 14 accused persons who were arrested for organising an Iftar on Ganga boat gathering during the month of Ramadan. The order was passed by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Amit Kumar Yadav.
The controversy emerged after videos of the accused breaking the fast on a boat in the Ganga river went viral on social media. Based on a complaint filed by Rajat Jaiswal the Varanasi city unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, a First Information Report was registered against the accused alleging that the actions hurt religious sentiments & polluted the river.
Earlier on 19th March the court had remanded the accused to judicial custody for 14 days. The accused subsequently approached the Varanasi Court seeking bail claiming false implication & absence of evidence regarding consumption of meat items during the alleged Iftar on Ganga gathering.
Key Aspects
The case revolves around allegations of hurting religious sentiments, pollution of river water & unlawful acts during the boat gathering. The prosecution & defence presented conflicting claims regarding the nature of the event & the allegations involved.
- 14 accused organised an Iftar on Ganga gathering on a boat during Ramadan.
- Videos of the event circulated widely on social media triggering controversy.
- FIR alleged consumption of chicken biryani & disposal of food remains into the river .
- Boat owners alleged the accused forcibly took the boat leading to additional charges.
Legal Insights
The prosecution invoked multiple provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) & other statutes due to the seriousness of allegations. The provisions address religious sentiments, public nuisance, pollution & digital content violations.
- Section 298 BNS – Defiling a place of worship or sacred place .
- Section 299 BNS – Malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
- Section 196(1)(B) BNS – Promoting enmity between groups.
- Section 270 & Section 279 BNS – Public nuisance & fouling public water sources .
- Section 223(B) BNS – Disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant.
- Section 308(5) BNS – Extortion under threat of death or grievous hurt .
- Section 24 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 – Prohibits pollution of water bodies.
- Section 67 of Information Technology Act, 2000 – Publishing or transmitting objectionable electronic material.
Court’s Verdict
After hearing both parties & examining the case records the Varanasi Court observed that the offences alleged against the accused were serious & non-bailable in nature. Considering the ongoing investigation & gravity of the charges the court found no grounds enough to grant bail at the stage.
Accordingly the bail plea was rejected & the 14 accused will remain in judicial custody pending further investigation in the Iftar on Ganga case.
Source – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)
Read also – BNS
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