Police in Sambhal have registered a case against an imam for exceeding prescribed noise limits with a loudspeaker used for ‘azaan’ The action was taken on Saturday at a mosque in the Punjabhiyan locality, where the call to prayer was played beyond the volume restrictions set by the court. A case has been registered against Hafiz Shakeel Shamsi, the imam of the mosque, under BNS sections 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 270 (public nuisance) and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. The loudspeaker has been seized, and legal proceedings are underway,\” an official statement said. On Jan 23, police lodged FIRs against two imams for using mosque loudspeakers at volumes exceeding permissible noise limits. In 2022, the state govt launched a drive to remove unauthorised loudspeakers from religious places and ensure compliance with noise pollution norms. Additionally, on Feb 23, 2025, Samb Hal police removed loudspeaker from Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid as part of a crackdown on loudspeakers in public places.