Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Friday directed state govt to file counter affidavit in response to the bail applications of some Muslim youths, who were jailed on charges of holding an iftar party on a boat and dumping waste, including biryani bones, into the Ganga River in Varanasi.Hearing the bail applications of accused – Danish Saifi, Noor Islam and Amir Kaifi– Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha in his order granted one week’s time to govt counsel to file counter affidavit and fixed April 24 as the next date of hearing.During the course of hearing, their counsel, Mohd Waseem, argued that these youths have been falsely implicated in this case.However, additional govt advocate (AGA), Uma Shanker Mishra, opposed the bail application and sought time to file counter affidavit.An FIR was lodged on March 16 on a complaint by Rajat Jaiswal, the president of BJP Yuva Morcha, at Kotwali police station of Varanasi against the incident, which according to him hurt the religious sentiments.It is claimed that the men broke their Ramzan fast on a boat on the Ganga on March 15, consumed meat and thew the waste into the river.Following the FIR, 14 youths were arrested, with the police invoking a battery of provisionsagainst them including BNS sections pertaining to defiling a place of worship, outraging religious feelings and, later, extortion.Earlier, a sessions court at Varanasi had denied them bail.
