Overview
- Fourteen men were arrested in Varanasi after a viral clip showed an Iftar on a boat on the Ganga near Panchganga Ghat.
- Police lodged an FIR on a BJYM leader's complaint under multiple BNS provisions tied to religious offence and public nuisance as well as the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
- Officers allege the group ate chicken biryani and dumped leftovers into the river, though reporters note the video does not depict the disposal and investigators are verifying the claim.
- The accused were identified from social-media images, placed in custody under preventive provisions, and remain in judicial custody as questioning continues.
- Investigators are tracing the boat operator and probing motive, with police saying the gathering was recorded for social-media reels, while political figures and local Muslim leaders publicly criticised the reported conduct.