Police in Mumbai, Maharashtra, have ordered several mosques to remove their loudspeakers within three days citing court noise-pollution directives, prompting Muslim community leaders to accuse law enforcement of selective and discriminatory enforcement compared with Hindu festival celebrations.
Malwani police sent the removal notices on November 9 to committees managing mosques in Mumbai’s Malad neighborhood, including Taiba Mosque in the MHADA residential colony. After receiving the orders, mosque representatives met officers at the local station to object to repeated notices and allege biased policing.
At the meeting, mosque delegates questioned police monitoring during the Ganesh festival, saying processions and idol immersions routinely feature loud music, instruments, and firecrackers. While mosques also received warnings during festival periods, delegates asked whether police regularly measure sound levels or penalize festival organizers who breach statutory limits. Police replied that action follows complaints, drawing further questions over why other religious events face less scrutiny.
Salim Abdul Sheikh, president of Malwani MHADA Jama Masjid, said notices arrive almost daily despite mosques abiding by decibel caps. “It has reached a ridiculous point,” he said, accusing police of deliberately targeting Muslims.
Merchant Foundation head and Masjid-e-Hazrat Ali representative Muhammad Jamil Merchant displayed a removal notice signed by Senior Inspector Rani Puri citing a 2010 public interest litigation ruling against the Maharashtra government and a Mumbai Police Commissioner directive. He said mosques hold regular permits and bought their own sound meter to log decibel readings for possible legal action, while recent permit renewals face delays pending possible new guidelines.
Under India’s Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, loudspeakers require written authorization and are banned outdoors from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., though state governments may permit use until midnight on up to 15 festive days annually. Mumbai Police permit guidelines cap daytime noise at 55 decibels and nighttime levels at 45 decibels in residential areas—and 65 and 55 decibels in commercial zones—even with a permit, while a February 18, 2026 Mumbai suburban district notice allowing compliant use from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight remains effective through December 31.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report