UP police arrest mosque official over excessive noise during azan

Police in Bijnor district have taken into custody a muezzin from a local mosque in Najibabad town on Sunday following allegations that he exceeded prescribed noise limits while reciting the azan, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The arrest underscores growing enforcement of noise pollution regulations across urban areas in Uttar Pradesh. The azan, the Islamic call to prayer traditionally performed five times daily, has occasionally drawn attention from authorities concerned with noise management in densely populated residential zones.

Officers said the muezzin violated noise threshold standards established under environmental protection guidelines. The specific circumstances surrounding the complaint and the exact noise levels recorded during the incident remain under investigation.

The case reflects broader tensions in some Indian cities between religious practices and municipal noise control regulations. Local authorities have increasingly prioritized noise monitoring in residential and commercial areas, though enforcement remains inconsistent across different regions and communities.