Saurabh Mukherjee
A viral video allegedly showing a group of men consuming alcohol and cooking chicken aboard a boat on the Ganga in Varanasi has led to the arrest of five local residents, with police booking them on charges related to promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments.
The accused – Deepak Kumar, Ajay Sahni, Arun Kumar Sahni, Anurag Nishad and Rahul Sahni, all in their 20s and employed in odd jobs – were arrested after an investigation traced the boat and identified the individuals seen in the footage.
According to police, the video surfaced on social media recently, prompting authorities to examine when and where it had been recorded. Preliminary findings suggested that the incident was not recent and likely took place during the winter months.
According to reports, a case was subsequently registered at Dashashwamedh police station under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police carried out raids at the homes of the accused, arrested them on Tuesday and seized the boat used in the gathering. Santosh Kumar, Station House Officer of Dashashwamedh police station, said provisions related to breach of peace had also been invoked. The five men were later produced before a magistrate and granted bail on the same day.
“An FIR/case was immediately registered in the matter, all the accused were arrested, and the boat was seized. Further legal proceedings are being carried out,” Kashi DCP wrote on X on Wednesday afternoon.
The case has drawn comparisons with a similar incident in March when 14 Muslim men were arrested after a video purportedly showing an iftar gathering on a boat went viral. Police had alleged that the group consumed chicken biryani and threw leftover food into the river.
The accused in that case remained in jail until May and secured their release only after obtaining bail from the Allahabad High Court and apologising to the “Hindu community” for hurting religious sentiments.
Also read: Allahabad HC Grants Bail to Eight Muslims Accused in Varanasi Iftar Boat Case
Advocate Vikas Singh, who represents both sets of accused in Varanasi courts, has said that the differing treatment in the two cases stems from the specific legal provisions invoked by the police. Court records in the present case indicate that the five men denied the allegations when produced before the magistrate and were released on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 along with two sureties of the same amount. The proceedings against them will continue while they remain out on bail.
The latest arrests also come amid a broader crackdown on meat-related activities in the temple city.
Earlier this month, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation approved a proposal to shift all meat, fish and poultry shops outside city limits, while a 2019 state government order already prohibits the sale and consumption of meat and alcohol within a 250-metre radius of temples and heritage sites in Varanasi.
The accused – Deepak Kumar, Ajay Sahni, Arun Kumar Sahni, Anurag Nishad and Rahul Sahni, all in their 20s and employed in odd jobs – were arrested after an investigation traced the boat and identified the individuals seen in the footage.
According to police, the video surfaced on social media recently, prompting authorities to examine when and where it had been recorded. Preliminary findings suggested that the incident was not recent and likely took place during the winter months.
According to reports, a case was subsequently registered at Dashashwamedh police station under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police carried out raids at the homes of the accused, arrested them on Tuesday and seized the boat used in the gathering. Santosh Kumar, Station House Officer of Dashashwamedh police station, said provisions related to breach of peace had also been invoked. The five men were later produced before a magistrate and granted bail on the same day.
“An FIR/case was immediately registered in the matter, all the accused were arrested, and the boat was seized. Further legal proceedings are being carried out,” Kashi DCP wrote on X on Wednesday afternoon.
प्रकरण में तत्काल अभियोग पंजीकृत करते हुए सभी आरोपियों को गिरफ्तार किया गया तथा नाव सीज करते हुए अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है ।
— DCP Kashi (@VnsDcp) June 24, 2026
The case has drawn comparisons with a similar incident in March when 14 Muslim men were arrested after a video purportedly showing an iftar gathering on a boat went viral. Police had alleged that the group consumed chicken biryani and threw leftover food into the river.
The accused in that case remained in jail until May and secured their release only after obtaining bail from the Allahabad High Court and apologising to the “Hindu community” for hurting religious sentiments.
Also read: Allahabad HC Grants Bail to Eight Muslims Accused in Varanasi Iftar Boat Case
Advocate Vikas Singh, who represents both sets of accused in Varanasi courts, has said that the differing treatment in the two cases stems from the specific legal provisions invoked by the police. Court records in the present case indicate that the five men denied the allegations when produced before the magistrate and were released on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 along with two sureties of the same amount. The proceedings against them will continue while they remain out on bail.
The latest arrests also come amid a broader crackdown on meat-related activities in the temple city.
Earlier this month, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation approved a proposal to shift all meat, fish and poultry shops outside city limits, while a 2019 state government order already prohibits the sale and consumption of meat and alcohol within a 250-metre radius of temples and heritage sites in Varanasi.
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