Eight Muslims flee homes even after bail in Iftar case in Uttar Pradesh
Iftar arrests highlight shrinking space for minority religious practices in India
Lucknow: Eight Muslim men have fled their homes despite being granted bail, fearing further police action after their arrest in connection with an Iftar gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Shravasti district.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the arrests stem from a March 17 incident at the Sonpathri Mai Sidhinath Ashram within the Sohailwa Wildlife Division near the India-Nepal border. Police claimed the men consumed non-vegetarian food while breaking their Ramadan fast and disposed of leftovers in a stream on ashram grounds.
The eight men, five from Shravasti and three from Bahraich, were booked on a complaint filed by the ashram head, along with charges related to alleged violations of forest conservation laws.
Families of the accused have strongly denied the allegations, disputing police claims regarding their presence at the site. They also complained of the police misconduct during the arrests, including forcible entry into homes.
In a separate but similar incident in Varanasi (Banaras) city of Uttar Pradesh, fourteen individuals were arrested for allegedly consuming non-vegetarian food while breaking their fast on a boat on the River Ganga and disposing of waste into the water. The accused in that case remain in custody.
Both incidents have drawn sharp criticism. Opposition leader Asaduddin Owaisi called the arrests a “witch-hunt,” questioning why similar legal action is not taken against major and well-documented sources of river pollution, including industrial discharge and untreated sewage.
Critics argue these cases reflective selective enforcement of the law, disproportionately targeting Muslims during Ramadan, and raising serious concerns about the misuse of environmental regulations and the shrinking space for minority religious freedoms in Modi’s India.
