Uttar Pradesh Imam Booked for Exceeding Loudspeaker Limit at Mosque

Uttar Pradesh Imam Booked for Exceeding Loudspeaker Limit at Mosque
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Police in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh, have registered a case against Maulana Rafique Khan, the imam of a mosque in Ghumthal village, for allegedly playing the mosque loudspeaker beyond the permitted noise level.

According to The Indian Express, residents had previously complained about high sound levels, after which police visited the mosque and cautioned the imam. “A police team had advised the imam to keep the sound within the permissible decibel limit. Since no corrective action was taken and the violation was repeated, legal proceedings have now been initiated,” said Station House Officer Manoj Verma.

Khan has been booked under Sections 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and 293 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police said additional security personnel have been deployed in the Hindu-majority village as a precaution.

The incident has reignited debate over selective enforcement of noise pollution laws, which are often invoked during religious events across faiths — including azaan, bhajans, and temple bells.

Critics allege that such rules are applied unevenly, disproportionately targeting mosques. Commenting on the case, journalist and Yale lecturer Sushant Singh said, “This is rule by law, not rule of law. Rule of law applies to all offenders equally; rule by law to those whom you want to punish.”

In February, Sambhal police removed loudspeakers from the 16th-century Shahi Jama Masjid, prompting the imam to deliver the azan from the rooftop.