Allahabad High Court In Ganga Boat Iftar Row: Regret Over Incident, No Denial Of Viral Video Helped Accused Secure Bail

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to eight accused in the controversial Varanasi Ganga boat iftar case. The detailed order in bail pleas of the five accused persons has revealed that the court was significantly influenced by what it described as the accused persons’ “genuine remorse” and apology over the incident that triggered outrage over alleged desecration of the river Ganga.

In the order, the bench of Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla also made significant observations on the role of social media in spreading communal discord.

In its May 15 order, court observed that the accused and their families had “most sincerely” regretted the pain allegedly caused to society at large due to the incident, which involved consumption of non-vegetarian food during an iftar gathering on a boat in the Ganga at Varanasi and alleged dumping of leftovers into the river.

Court noted that while the accused could not be expected to expressly admit guilt while seeking bail, the contents of their affidavits and the stand taken by their counsel reflected “genuine remorse for the actions attributed to the applicants".

Importantly, court also took note of the fact that none of the accused had denied their presence in the viral video circulated on social media.

“In the opinion of this Court, not denying being in the video and then expressing regrets show that the applicants genuinely accept what has been stated on affidavit and are not using the same as an excuse to escape the punishment of the law,” court observed.

Further, on the issue of misuse of social media platforms, court cautioned that such platforms can become “major hubs of disinformation” capable of disrupting public life if misused.

In the present case, the State government had argued before the court that the accused not only desecrated the Ganga but also attempted to disturb communal harmony by uploading the video on Instagram. Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi claimed the video was part of a “larger conspiracy” and that investigation was continuing to identify persons who financed the iftar gathering and facilitated circulation of the video online.

Taking note of the State's submission, court said the role played by social media in modern society could not be ignored.

“The social media platforms, which disseminate information at lightning speed to every corner of the globe, have not only become a source of entertainment and information sharing but have also emerged as major hubs of disinformation,” court observed.

Court further remarked that misuse of such platforms has the potential to “disrupt the even flow of life".

However, court stressed that bail proceedings must remain confined to the specific facts of the case. It clarified that the question before the court was not the larger issues, but whether the accused deserved continued incarceration during investigation.

The case stems from a March 16 FIR lodged after a video allegedly showed Muslim youths holding an iftar gathering on a boat in the Ganga river, consuming chicken biryani and throwing remains into the river. The complainant by Rajat Jaiswal, Varanasi city unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), alleged that the act hurt Hindu sentiments and disturbed communal harmony.

While granting bail, the high court, although, accepted that the alleged conduct could “hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community", but, it clarified that the issue before it was limited to deciding whether continued incarceration during investigation and trial was warranted.

Eight of the 14 accused in the case have so far secured bail from the high court.

Case Title: Mohd Azad Ali And 2 Others vs. State of U.P.

Order Date: May 15, 2026

Bench: Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla