SAMBHAL: Police have registered a case against an imam and seized a loudspeaker from a mosque in the Chandausi area of Sambhal district for allegedly using it for ‘azaan’ at a volume exceeding the prescribed decibel limits. The action was taken on Saturday at a mosque in the Punjabhiyan locality, where the call to prayer was played beyond the volume restrictions set by the court.
” A case has been registered against Hafiz Shakeel Shamsi, the imam of the mosque, under BNS sections 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 270 (public nuisance) and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. The loudspeaker has been seized, and legal proceedings are underway,” an official statement said.
In recent months, Sambhal witnessed multiple incidents related to loudspeaker usage at religious sites. On Jan 23, police lodged FIRs against two imams for using mosque loudspeakers at volumes exceeding permissible noise limits. Additionally, on Feb 23, 2025, Sambhal police removed loudspeakers from Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid as part of a crackdown on loudspeakers in public places.
In 2018, Allahabad HC had directed the state govt to enforce noise pollution rules strictly, mandating that loudspeakers should not exceed permissible decibel levels. In 2022, the state govt launched a drive to remove unauthorised loudspeakers from religious places and ensure compliance with noise pollution norms.
