The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to three men accused in a case linked to an alleged objectionable video near the River Ganga in Varanasi. The court noted that the applicants had expressed “genuine remorse” and had no previous criminal history.
Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla passed the order while hearing connected bail applications filed by Danish Saifi, Noor Islam and Amir Kaifi in Case Crime No. 65 of 2026. The order was delivered on May 18, 2026.
Background of the Case
According to the prosecution, the accused were booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act at Kotwali Police Station in Varanasi. The State alleged that a video uploaded on Instagram had hurt religious sentiments and disturbed communal harmony.
The prosecution further claimed that the video was part of a larger conspiracy and said investigators were examining who funded the alleged Iftar gathering connected to the incident.
Counsel appearing for the applicants argued that they had been falsely implicated and had no intention of insulting any religion or hurting sentiments. It was also submitted that they had been in jail since March 17, 2026, and were no longer required for custodial interrogation.
The defence also pointed out that similarly placed co-accused had already received bail from coordinate benches of the High Court earlier this month.
During the hearing, the court took note of a supplementary affidavit filed by the accused in which they offered an unconditional apology and stated that they respected all religions and “Maa Ganga.”
Referring to the apology, the bench observed that the statements made by the applicants reflected “genuine remorse” for the acts attributed to them.
The court further said,
“The note of apology that appears in the supplementary affidavit and the submissions of the Learned Counsels, in the opinion of the Court, appear to be heartfelt.”
Justice Shukla also considered the applicants’ lack of criminal antecedents and the period already spent in custody while deciding the bail plea.
Allowing the bail applications, the High Court directed the release of Danish Saifi, Noor Islam and Amir Kaifi on personal bonds and two sureties each.
The court imposed conditions that the applicants would not tamper with evidence, threaten witnesses, or engage in criminal activity during the trial.
They were also directed to appear regularly before the trial court unless exempted.
Case Details
Case Title: Danish Saifi vs State of U.P. and connected matters
Case Number: Criminal Misc. Bail Application Nos. 12859, 13866 and 12885 of 2026
Judge: Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla
Decision Date: May 18, 2026
