The Allahabad High Court dismissed a contempt petition regarding the usage of loudspeakers in temples as well as in mosques, observing that the time of filing of the petition indicates that it was a sponsored litigation so as to affect the communal harmony of Uttar Pradesh during the state elections.

In the contempt petition, the petitioner Islamuddin of Rampur district had requested the court to punish Rabindra Kumar Mander, the district magistrate of Rampur as well as superintendent of police (SP), Rampur for wilfully disobeying the earlier order passed by this court in a public interest litigation (PIL) on April 15, 2015. In the order, the court had directed the district administration of Rampur and the regional pollution control board (RPCB) to ensure that there is no noise pollution by use of loudspeaker or any other device causing noise pollution beyond the prescribed standard in the noise pollution (regulation and control) rules, 2000.

According to the petitioner, it was in 2021 that certain people started using loudspeakers in the temple as well as mosque which led to noise pollution. Hence, he filed the present contempt petition before the high court on February 3, 2022 for ensuring the compliance of the earlier court’s order dated April 15, 2015 and to also to punish the authorities concerned who allegedly disobeyed the court’s order./MM