Hindu religious site desecrated as men cook non-vegetarian food and drink liquor on boat in Ganges near sacred ghats in Varanasi
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
21 June, 2026
Case Summary
In Varanasi, Hindu sentiments were outraged after a few men cooked meat and drank alcohol near the sacred Hindu ghats and temples while sitting on a boat in the Ganga River. A video of this incident surfaced on social media on 22 June 2026, showing young men cooking chicken and consuming beer and liquor on a boat in the middle of the Ganga. The incident took place near the famous Man Mandir Ghat in the Dashashwamedh Ghat area and sparked widespread anger among Hindu devotees and residents. Reports also noted that the boat in which the meat was cooked was linked to a local Bharatiya Janata Party councillor, Satyanarayan Sahani, from the Augustkunda area, with police stating that the boat may have belonged to him or his family members, though the councillor himself was not seen in the video. Authorities also stated that the video appeared to be a few days old. As the video went viral, it triggered a strong reaction within the Varanasi Police Department. The Dashashwamedh Police Station took immediate cognisance of the matter, identified the individuals seen in the video, and registered a case under Sections 196(2) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code as applicable. Following swift action, the police arrested five accused persons and also seized the boat used in the incident. The arrested individuals were identified as Deepak Kumar (25), Ajay Sahni (20), Arun Kumar Sahni (22), Anurag Nishad (31), and Rahul Sahni (28), all residents of Varanasi. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dashashwamedh, Atul Anjan Tripathi, confirmed the arrests and stated that action had been taken under relevant legal provisions. Police also noted that strict surveillance was being maintained on activities on the Ganga River, particularly those disturbing public order and religious decorum, and warned that such actions would continue to face legal consequences. Additionally, authorities stated that nearly two dozen individuals had been arrested over the past three months in similar incidents involving misconduct on the river, including earlier cases where people had been booked for organising liquor parties and food gatherings on boats in the Ganga.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Desecration of religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case illustrated a clear instance of desecration of a sacred religious site and defilement of Hindu sacred spaces, as the perpetrators involved engaged in conduct that directly violated the sanctity associated with the ghats of Kashi, the sacred Ganga River, and the vicinity of historic temples present in and around the ghats. The act of cooking meat and consuming alcohol on a boat within the sacred river space near these sites amounted to a breach of ritual purity and a direct affront to the sanctified character of these deeply revered locations. Varanasi stands as Hinduism’s holiest city, known as Kashi, the ancient city of light and the eternal abode of Lord Shiva, where the deity is worshipped as Vishwanath and is believed to preside over cosmic order from the lingam. Situated along the crescent bend of the Ganga River, it has remained a continuous centre of Hindu pilgrimage, learning and spiritual practice for over 3,000 years. Hindus believe that death in Varanasi grants moksha, liberation from the cycle of samsara (universe), as the soul attains direct union with Shiva. The city contains over 80 ghats, thousands of temples including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and sacred ritual sites such as Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the Ganga Aarti is performed daily. Similarly, the ghats of Varanasi and the surrounding temple ecosystem represent deeply sacred ritual spaces used for bathing, cremation rites and pilgrimage. The Ganga River itself is venerated as Mother Ganga, regarded as a purifier of sins and a divine embodiment of spiritual cleansing, with devotees performing ritual immersion, ancestral offerings and worship along its banks. Within this religious framework, the consumption of meat and alcohol in or near the sacred river space and temple-linked ghats constitutes a direct violation of the religious sanctity associated with these sites. Henceforth, the conduct of cooking meat and consuming alcohol on a boat in the Ganga near the sacred ghats showcased a clear desecration and defilement of Hindu sacred spaces. It introduced acts considered ritually impure into an environment defined by strict spiritual sanctity, thereby undermining the inviolable religious character of these locations. Such actions, when carried out in proximity to deeply revered Hindu sites, amount to religiously insensitive conduct and reflect a pattern of disregard for the sanctity of Hindu religious places, thereby indicating religious animosity in effect. The visual documentation of the incident, as circulated on social media, further amplified the impact, as the acts were performed within a highly sacred geographical context and publicly displayed. The depiction of meat preparation and alcohol consumption on a boat in the Ganga near these ghats contributed to the widespread perception of deliberate disrespect towards Hindu religious sensibilities. The dissemination of such content intensified the hurt experienced by devotees who regard these spaces as inviolable. All these elements, including the conduct within the sacred river space, the proximity to ghats and temple zones, and the nature of activities involving meat consumption and alcohol, collectively demonstrated a clear desecration and defilement of Hindu sacred sites. Therefore, the incident is being documented as a hate crime in the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incident dates based on when the underlying offence occurs, rather than when it is reported in the media. However, in the present case, media reports did not clearly specify the exact date of occurrence and instead only referred to the date on which the video surfaced on social media, that is, 22 June 2026. Henceforth, this date has been selected as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes. This selection has been made solely for record-keeping consistency within the database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
