Police in Najibabad town, Bijnor district, have arrested a muezzin (the person who recites the azan) at a local mosque for allegedly breaching the prescribed noise limits during the call to prayer, officers familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Mohammad Faizan, 23, was taken into custody on Saturday after police reportedly found a loudspeaker running at high volume at Najibuddoula Mosque, near Government Inter College (GIC). He was presented before a sub-divisional magistrate’s court, which sent him to 14 days of judicial custody.
Officers said that where permission for a loudspeaker has not been obtained, noise from sound-amplification equipment must not travel beyond the premises. Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Krishna Gopal Singh said the mosque management had no such permission. He added that the government and courts have issued directions on loudspeakers and similar equipment from time to time, and that police are running drives to ensure compliance.
How the arrest unfolded
According to police, sub-inspector Saurabh Singh and constable Rohit were on patrol on Saturday when they reached the area near GIC at around 12:45 pm and allegedly heard a loudspeaker playing loudly from the mosque. On inspection, they found Faizan reciting the azan.
Police said the volume exceeded permitted limits, causing noise pollution and inconvenience to passers-by. Saurabh Singh then filed a report at Najibabad police station, and a case was registered against Faizan. Police seized the loudspeaker, amplifier and microphone, and arrested him.
