Shravasti: Eight Muslim men released on bail in Uttar Pradesh‘s Shrivasti district have since fled their homes in fear of continued police action after they were arrested for eating non-vegetarian food during an iftar and allegedly disposing of leftovers in the water used by an ashram.
On March 17, a group of 20 people, including eight, gathered at the Sonpathri Mai Sidhinath Ashram located inside the Sohailwala Wildlife Division near the India-Nepal border in Shravasti.
The ashram is revered by people from multiple faiths and visited by the masses. However, it was embroiled in controversy after Muslim men were arrested for organising an iftar during Ramzan.
The eight include three from Bahraich, 90 kilometres from the ashram and five from Shravasti, which is nearly 60 km away. The men, all in their twenties, except for one, were booked under two cases.
The ashram head filed one and the other was filed for allegedly violating forest conservation laws.
Despite being granted bail, these men have not shown up at their homes, with their families claiming they fear further police action and arrests.
At the time of the incident, police claimed that swift action was taken to prevent a potential law-and-order situation, with efforts underway to identify the others allegedly involved.
Family members denied the allegations and told The Indian Express that police broke down their door and forcibly detained them. Others said some of them were not present at the scene, citing the distance between their homes and the ashram.
Among those arrested is 57-year-old Jamal, who is the president of the local traders’ association. Both his sons were also apprehended.
Jamal’s daughter-in-law, Sabeena, said the men wanted to hold iftar in an open area, so they chose the specific spot. “They carried cooked food, fruits and water,” she said. “Their only mistake was that they took photos and videos and posted the same.”
Safia, Jamal’s daughter, claimed that he was not part of the group and that the men returned with all the items. “Not even a bottle cap was left behind,” she said.
In a similar incident, 14 Muslim youths were arrested in Varanasi for hosting an iftar on a boat along the ghats of the River Ganga. They were accused of hurting religious sentiments for consuming chicken biryani and throwing the waste in the holy waters. On April 1, they were denied bail, with the Sessions court stating that posting the video on social media indicated the intention to deliberately disrupt communal peace.
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