At least five people were arrested after a video allegedly showing a group of people cooking chicken and consuming alcohol on a boat on the Ganga river in Varanasi went viral, prompting police action and the seizure of the boat, officials said.
The action was initiated after the footage surfaced on social media and gained widespread circulation, prompting authorities to identify the individuals seen in the video and take further legal steps, according to reports.
The incident is suspected to have occurred near Dashashwamedh Ghat. Police identified the arrested individuals as Deepak Kumar, Ajay Sahani, Arun Kumar Sahani, Anurag Nishad and Rahul Sahani, who are associated with the Ramnagar area of Varanasi.
A case has been registered at Dashashwamedh police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. ACP Dashashwamedh Atul Anjan Tripathi said the police acted after the video gained attention online. He added that the clip appeared to be old, as people in it were seen wearing winter clothing.
"The video was taken up by the police as soon as it went viral. The people seen in it were identified and arrested. The boat involved in the incident has also been seized and further proceedings are underway," Tripathi said.
The ACP further said enforcement teams have been monitoring such activities and incidents of this nature have reduced in recent months.
Police have appealed to boat operators and visitors to avoid actions that could hurt public sentiments and warned that violations would invite legal action.
Officials also clarified that while some social media posts claimed the boat was linked to a local BJP functionary, the ownership details are still being verified. The person mentioned in those claims was not visible in the video, police said.
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