Uttar Pradesh: A case has been registered against an imam in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli for allegedly playing a loudspeaker at a mosque “beyond the permissible decibel limit.”
The imam, Maulana Rafique Khan, had reportedly been warned following residents’ complaints about the increased noise level, police said.
While on routine patrol, Sub-Inspector Sonu Chaudhary found the mosque’s loudspeaker exceeding permissible volume levels, leading him to file a complaint against the imam.
“A police team had visited the mosque and 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,” Station House Officer Manoj Verma was quoted by The Indian Express.
After he was taken into custody, additional security personnel were deployed in the Hindu-majority village of Ghumthal as a “precautionary measure.”
The move received widespread criticism since the police failed to mention the level of increased decibel level.
Yale University lecturer Sushant Singh commented on the incident, stating, “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.”
Imam 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).
