'Can People Be Jailed For Eating Chicken Biryani?': Justice Bhuyan Questions Three-Month Detention Of Youths Over Ganga Iftar Gathering
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the arrest and prolonged detention of 14 Muslim youths who organised an iftar gathering on a boat in the Ganga in Varanasi, saying that consuming chicken biryani on the river is not an offence under the law.
Speaking at the 4th Justice G.P. Singh Memorial Lecture at the National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal on Saturday, Justice Bhuyan used the case to underline concerns over personal liberty, delayed bail and the shrinking space for dissent.
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'Consuming Chicken Biryani Is Not An Offence'
Referring to the Varanasi case, Justice Bhuyan questioned the legal basis for the youths' arrest and their prolonged incarceration.
"I am sure consuming chicken biryani is not an offence. There is no law prohibiting consumption of chicken over the Ganga river... Can people be arrested and denied bail for three months for such an activity?"
His remarks came while discussing the importance of safeguarding constitutional freedoms and ensuring that arrests do not become punitive in nature.
The Varanasi Iftar Case
The case dates back to March 2026, when 14 young Muslim men organised an iftar gathering aboard a boat on the Ganga in Varanasi. A video of the event later went viral on social media.
Police subsequently registered multiple cases against the group, including allegations of hurting religious sentiments, defiling a place of worship, public nuisance and polluting the river. Authorities also invoked additional serious charges, including allegations relating to the forcible seizure of the boat.
According to reports, some of the allegations stemmed from claims that food waste had been discarded into the river.
Bail After More Than Two Months
The youths remained in judicial custody for over two months before the Allahabad High Court granted them bail.
An FIR has been registered against 14 Muslim men who, in a video, were seen hosting an Iftar on a boat on the Ganges in Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/Y9HQ97eoOm
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) March 17, 2026
Justice Bhuyan questioned whether the nature of the allegations justified such a lengthy period of incarceration, stressing that courts must remain vigilant in protecting individual liberty.
Remarks On Liberty And Equal Treatment
During his lecture, Justice Bhuyan cited the case as an example while discussing delayed bail, arrests of students and protesters, and the broader need to protect peaceful expression and constitutional rights.
Muslim Youths Host Iftar Party On Boat In Varanasi, Allegedly Threw Chicken Bones & Waste In Ganga; ArrestedHe also alluded to concerns over consistency in the criminal justice system, with the case drawing attention after reports emerged of another incident involving non-Muslims allegedly consuming alcohol and cooking chicken near the Ganga, where bail was granted more swiftly.
While acknowledging that allegations such as pollution of the river or hurting religious sentiments must be examined by courts, Justice Bhuyan emphasised that the mere act of consuming chicken biryani on a boat could not, by itself, justify prolonged imprisonment.