River Ganges. (Photo | PTI) 
India

Case filed as video shows men smoking hookah, cooking non-veg food during Ganga boat ride

In the FIR lodged on Wednesday, the six people are accused of hurting religious sentiments and defiling a place of worship, police said.

PTI

PRAYAGRAJ: Police have registered a case after a video clip surfaced on the internet purportedly showing six people cooking a non-vegetarian meal and smoking a hookah on a boat on the Ganga near the holy Sangam.

Police said they have identified two of the six men, but they are absconding.

In the FIR lodged on Wednesday, the six people are accused of hurting religious sentiments and defiling a place of worship, police said.

The 30-second video purportedly caught the scene on a moving boat close to Prayagraj's Daraganj.

The men appeared to be cooking chicken on skewers.

Circle Officer Aastha Jaiswal said Daraganj is a pilgrimage area and people are expected not to do anything that could hurt the sentiments of the devotees.

"Cooking meat on a boat on the Ganga river can hurt the religious sentiments of the people who come here," the CO said.

The FIR was registered against two named and four unknown people on the complaint of Bakshi outpost in-charge Diwakar Singh after the video surfaced on Tuesday.

Two of the men seen in the video have been identified as Ajaf and Hassan, against whom an FIR was registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race) and 295 (defiling place of worship) of the IPC.

The two are residents of Bakshi Khurd in Daraganj.

They are absconding, police said, adding efforts are being made to identify the remaining four.

PM Modi unveils Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms after NEET backlash

Siddaramaiah says he won't contest 2028 Karnataka polls, cites age, 'corrupt' politics

Delhi Police awaits official nod to withdraw FIRs against protesters after Centre's assurance to CJP

Opposition to press NDA govt in Parliament over 'police brutality' at CJP protests; demand PM Modi's apology

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to propose lowering minimum age for contesting elections to 21

SCROLL FOR NEXT