The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the alleged removal of loudspeakers from mosques in different parts of West Bengal on the basis of verbal instructions purportedly issued by the police. The petition was heard by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Atarup Banerjee. The court reportedly found that the petition was based largely on newspaper reports, observations and alleged verbal instructions, without any specific written order being produced before it.
PIL Alleged Verbal Police Directions
The PIL, filed on August 10, alleged that microphones and loudspeakers were being removed from mosques across the state following verbal directions from the police. The petitioners sought the court’s intervention against what they described as arbitrary action by the administration.
The issue had gained attention following allegations from several mosque committees that police personnel had asked them to remove microphones without showing any written government order or legal notice. Similar allegations were subsequently raised from other parts of the state.
Court Questions Absence of Written Order
During Tuesday’s hearing, senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee drew the court’s attention to the matter and described it as “extremely urgent”. However, the division bench dismissed the PIL, observing, according to the available account of the proceedings, that there was no specific written police or government order before the court that could be challenged.
The petition was also based on newspaper reports concerning the alleged removal of microphones.
Petitioners Cited Objections From 4,000 Mosques
The petitioners had referred to objections allegedly raised by around 4,000 mosques. However, the court noted that most of those mosques were not parties to the proceedings, according to the account of the hearing.
Dispute Over Alleged Removal of Mosque Microphones
The case had been filed amid growing controversy over allegations that police personnel in different districts were verbally directing mosque committees to remove microphones.
Mosque committees and community representatives had claimed that they were complying with prescribed noise limits but were nevertheless being asked to remove the equipment altogether.
