Three Arrested After Men Eat Mutton, Drink Liquor on Boat in Saryu River at Ayodhya

Ayodhya: A video showing men eating mutton and drinking alcohol on a boat in the Saryu river near Ayodhya has gone viral on social media. The incident happened near Guptar Ghat. Four men were seen in the footage eating meat and consuming liquor while floating on the river. Police swung into action after the video spread and arrested three of the four accused. The fourth is still on the run.

What was said in the video?

The viral video shows the men in high spirits on the boat. One of the men can be heard saying it has been a long time since they had a mutton party. He names his companions on camera, Lavkush Nishad, Rajkumar Nishad and Jitendra Nishad. He says they slaughtered a goat and had a feast. Another man picks up a piece of meat and says it is top class. The man filming then says he prays to God that such a party happens every month or two. He also mentions that it would have been even more fun if Amarjeet Nishad had been there.

What happened next?

City police circle officer Shriyash Tripathi confirmed the arrests on Sunday. The three arrested have been identified as Lavkush Nishad, Jitendra Nishad and Rajkumar Nishad. Police said the men hurt the religious sentiments of devotees who consider the Saryu river sacred.

What were the similar cases earlier happened?

This is not the first time such an incident has come up in Uttar Pradesh's holy cities. In June a video from Varanasi showed people cooking chicken and drinking beer on a boat in the Ganga river. Five people were arrested in that case and their boat was seized. All five were sent to jail. Before that, in March, another video had surfaced from Varanasi showing people allegedly eating chicken biryani during an iftar party on the Ganga. Fourteen people were arrested on charges of desecrating a religious site and hurting religious sentiments. That action was taken on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP Yuva Morcha city unit president Rajat Jaiswal.