Overview
- The Varanasi ACJM denied bail to all 14 on Monday, keeping them in judicial custody as the case proceeds.
- Police say a March 15 video showing an iftar on a motorboat, with alleged chicken biryani and leftovers tossed into the Ganga, led to the March 17 arrests after officers used the footage to identify suspects.
- Charges span Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions on defiling a place of worship, outraging religious feelings, promoting enmity, public nuisance, and fouling water, along with the Water Act, with extortion and forcible seizure added after boat owners’ statements.
- Prosecutors argued the offences are grave and could draw up to 10 years in prison, while the defence said the video does not prove meat consumption, no meat was recovered, and a sessions court appeal will follow.
- Reports note a separate Sigra police case over threats to the BJP youth-wing complainant, and some outlets highlight added kidnapping and IT Act angles, reflecting rising scrutiny in Varanasi where the Ganga carries strong religious significance.