‘Noise should not spill beyond premises’: Bijnor police arrest mosque muezzin
Muezzin Held in Najibabad Over Alleged Loudspeaker Volume Violation
Bharatmorningnews.com – Police in Bijnor have arrested a 23-year-old mosque muezzin after alleging that the volume of the azaan being broadcast through a loudspeaker exceeded permitted limits in Najibabad. The case has renewed attention on the rules governing sound-amplification equipment at religious places and the need to balance legal compliance with religious sensitivities.
Mohammad Faizan, who lives in Mohalla Maqbara, was taken into custody on Saturday. Police said he was reciting the azaan at Najibuddoula Mosque, located near Government Inter College in Najibabad, when officers found a loudspeaker being used at what they described as a high volume.
Faizan was presented before a sub-divisional magistrate’s court and was sent to 14 days of judicial custody, police said on Sunday. The loudspeaker, amplifier and microphone were seized during the action.
Police cite lack of loudspeaker permission
Additional superintendent of police (city) Krishna Gopal Singh said the mosque management did not have permission to operate a loudspeaker. He stressed that, in the absence of such approval, amplified sound should remain within the boundaries of the premises.
“The mosque management had no permission to use a loudspeaker. In such a situation, the noise of sound-amplification equipment should not come out of the premises,” said additional superintendent of police (city) Krishna Gopal Singh.
Singh said directions issued by governments and courts over time regulate loudspeakers and related audio equipment. Police are conducting enforcement drives to ensure those directions are followed, he added.
The case was registered after sub-inspector Saurabh Singh submitted a complaint at Najibabad police station. Police said the alleged breach involved prescribed sound limits and caused noise pollution as well as inconvenience to people passing through the area.
Patrol near Government Inter College
Police said sub-inspector Saurabh Singh and constable Rohit were on patrol on Saturday as part of routine law-and-order duties, including checks of suspicious people and vehicles. At about 12:45 pm, they reached the area near Government Inter College and allegedly heard amplified sound coming from the mosque.
During their inspection, officers found Faizan reciting the azaan, police said. The allegation is not about the act of reciting the Islamic call to prayer itself, but concerns the use and volume of amplification equipment. That distinction is important because the legal debate around public sound often focuses on whether established volume rules and permission requirements have been met.
The azaan is recited five times each day and forms a central part of Muslim religious practice. At the same time, loudspeaker use in public spaces has faced continuing administrative and judicial scrutiny, particularly where amplified sound is alleged to extend beyond permitted levels or beyond the place where it is being used.
Part of a wider district enforcement drive
The arrest comes during a wider campaign by Bijnor police to regulate loudspeakers at religious sites. In September, police said more than 4,500 loudspeakers had been removed from such locations across the district.
Enforcement action involving places of worship can carry wider social implications. Clear communication about permissions, permissible sound levels and equipment restrictions can help religious committees understand their responsibilities while reducing the risk of disputes. Meetings between officials and local representatives may also allow practical concerns to be addressed before a matter reaches the stage of criminal proceedings.
Mohammad Khurshid Mansoori, chairman of Sahaspur Nagar Panchayat, called on the district administration to review Faizan’s case impartially. He also asked that information and assistance be made available concerning any legal relief open to the arrested muezzin.
“The azaan is an important part of the religious tradition of the Muslim community. Matters involving religious activities should be handled sensitively, through mutual dialogue and in accordance with the law. An appropriate decision should be taken only after an impartial examination of all the facts,” Mansoori said.
Mansoori suggested that the administration convene discussions with mosque committees and religious representatives. Such meetings, he said, could establish clearer guidance on azaan recitation, loudspeaker use and noise-control requirements, helping avoid comparable incidents in the future.
“The religious sentiments of people belonging to all communities should be respected. While ensuring compliance with the law, we must also strengthen brotherhood and social harmony. The district administration should take a positive initiative towards a just resolution, keeping the sensitivity of the matter in mind,” he added.
Court directions remain relevant
The incident has arisen amid continuing consideration of noise pollution rules in public places. Earlier this month, the Allahabad high court directed police and district authorities not to interfere with the right to recite the azaan five times daily at a mosque in Saharanpur, provided that the petitioners complied with the prescribed noise limits and the court’s 2020 ruling on loudspeaker use.
That direction underlines a key legal principle: religious observance and noise-control regulations are not necessarily in conflict, but the use of sound-amplification equipment remains subject to applicable conditions. For local administrations, the challenge is to apply those conditions consistently, sensitively and with due regard for the facts of each case.
In Najibabad, the proceedings against Faizan will now continue through the legal process. The episode is also likely to keep the focus on how authorities communicate loudspeaker rules, how religious institutions seek permission where required, and how public order and community harmony can be protected together.
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