The Allahabad High Court on Monday (May 18, 2026) granted bail to the remaining six persons accused of consuming non-vegetarian food during an iftar party on a boat in the Ganga in Varanasi and throwing the leftovers into the river.
Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla, while giving relief to the accused, noted that in the same offence, eight accused have already been granted bail.
Therefore, present applicants are also entitled to bail on the same terms, the court said.
On May 15, Justice Shukla granted bail to five accused observing that the applicants are apologetic for their actions and even their families also regret the pain that had been caused to the society at large.
On the same day, Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha had granted bail to three other accused in the case.
On Monday (May 18, 2026), Justice Shukla said that the investigation, "in the opinion of the Court, would not be thwarted and the said investigation can continue without further detention of the applicants in prison".
In the case, 14 people were accused of hurting religious sentiments of the Hindu community after they organised a Roza iftar party on the Ganga during which non-vegetarian food was consumed and the leftovers were allegedly thrown into the river.
The applicants, in jail since March 17, 2026, have expressed their regrets and have also undertaken never to repeat any such act in future.
The FIR was lodged on March 16 based on a complaint filed by Rajat Jaiswal, the president of the Varanasi chapter of the BJP Yuva Morcha, claiming that the incident hurt the sentiments of the Hindus.
According to the complaint, the accused broke their Ramzan fast on a boat in the Ganga on March 15, ate meat, and threw the leftovers into the holy river.
They were booked under different provisions of law, including sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on defiling a place of worship, outraging religious feelings, etc.
On April 1, a sessions court in Varanasi had denied bail to the accused, saying they appear to have intended to disturb social harmony.