UP Police remove loudspeakers from Sambhal mosque, Imam booked
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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Police removed loudspeakers from a mosque in Sambhal district for violating noise control regulations, officials said on Sunday. The action was taken in line with the state’s guidelines on restricting loudspeaker use at places of worship.
According to a police official from Chandausi Police Station, the loudspeakers were removed from Mosque Punjabian after it was found broadcasting messages at an excessively high volume. The FIR stated that the loudspeakers violated the noise pollution guidelines issued by the Allahabad High Court, prompting patrolling officers to dismantle the horn-shaped devices.
The incident was reported by beat constable Jitender Kumar around 7 p.m. on Saturday. The mosque’s Imam, Shakeel Shamsi, son of Abdul Shamad Shamsi, was named in the FIR.
The case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 270 (Public nuisance), and 292 (Punishment for public nuisance). Provisions of noise pollution laws were also included in the charges.
The crackdown follows a 2022 directive issued by the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, which sought to regulate the use of loudspeakers at religious sites in the wake of communal violence during religious processions. Over 3,000 illegal loudspeakers were removed from places of worship across all religions as part of the enforcement drive.
The guidelines mandate that loudspeakers must be installed within the premises of religious sites, and any external installations are subject to removal by authorities.
In January this year, the Allahabad High Court reinforced this stance, stating that religious places are meant for prayer and that the use of loudspeakers cannot be considered a fundamental right. Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Donadi Ramesh made the observations while dismissing a plea from a resident of Pilibhit district, who had sought permission to install loudspeakers at mosques.
The UP government has maintained a zero-tolerance approach to noise pollution from loudspeakers, emphasizing that religious practices must align with the law.
With IANS inputs