Iftar row: Six arrested for ‘disposing of non-veg leftovers near temple’ in UP’s Shravasti

Upadhyaya said that apart from one accused who is 45 years old, the rest are in their 20s, with some of them engaged in small business activities.

‘Viral video’

The matter came to light when a video of the Iftar gathering went viral on social media following which the accused were identified.

According to police, the priest of Sonpthari Ashram lodged a complaint stating that on March 17, a group of persons had allegedly prepared non-vegetarian food for an iftar in a forest area near the temple and then disposed of the leftovers from the meal into a water body in that area.

Police said the complainant alleged that the water is used by devotees visiting the ashram for drinking, cooking, and cleaning purposes and that such actions hurt the religious sentiments of those visiting the temple.

Following the complaint, police registered a case on March 19 on charges related to promoting enmity between groups.

In a separate case, additional charges under various provisions of the Indian Forest Act were invoked after a sub-inspector from the forest department filed a complaint alleging that the accused had illegally lit fires in the forest area, posing a risk to wildlife and increasing the likelihood of a forest fire.