The Allahabad High Court has observed that throwing non-vegetarian food waste into the river Ganga could hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community while granting bail to five men accused in a case linked to an iftar gathering held on a boat in Varanasi earlier this year.

Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla made the observation in an order passed on May 15 while allowing the bail pleas of Mohammad Azad Ali, Mohammad Tahseem, Nihal Afridi, Mohammad Tauseef Ahmad and Mohammad Anas. The accused had been in judicial custody since March 17, 2026, in connection with allegations that leftover non-vegetarian food was thrown into the river during the gathering.

According to the court order, members of the Muslim community were participating in an iftar party where non-vegetarian food was consumed. The court noted that the alleged act of disposing food remains into the Ganga “could rightly be said to hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community.” The observation formed part of the court’s discussion while considering the circumstances surrounding the bail applications.

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The court also took note of the apology expressed by the accused and their families. Justice Shukla observed that the applicants had shown remorse for their actions and had assured the court that such an incident would not be repeated in the future. The order further stated that the accused did not have criminal antecedents and had already spent a considerable period in detention.

While granting relief, the court said that considering the overall facts of the case, including the absence of previous criminal history and the undertaking given by the applicants, a prima facie case for bail was made out. The bail order came with standard legal conditions to ensure cooperation during the investigation and trial proceedings.

In a related development, Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha also granted bail on May 15 to three other accused in the same case — Mohammad Sameer, Mohammad Ahmad Raza and Mohammad Faizan. The matter remains under legal proceedings before the concerned authorities.

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