Archive · 14 Aug 2026
High Court Seeks Bengal Reply on Mosque Loudspeaker Removal
Some people in the Indian state of West Bengal were worried.
They said police officers were telling mosques to take down their loudspeakers.
Mosques use these loudspeakers for the azaan, the call to prayer.
The police did not show any written order from the government, said the complainants.
A lawyer named Danish Farooqi asked the High Court to help.
The High Court listened to the arguments on Thursday.
It asked the state government to explain what is happening.
The government said it needs time to get instructions and will reply by Tuesday.
Some lawyers argued very heatedly in court, and the judges had to step in.
The judges also removed some unkind comments from the court record.
The Calcutta High Court asked the West Bengal government for a reply on a PIL alleging police pressured mosques to remove loudspeakers used for azaan.
Advocate-general Surajit Nath Mitra sought time until Tuesday to obtain the government's instructions.
Petitioner's lawyer Kalyan Bandyopadhyay said around 4,000 mosques were affected, citing a statement by Suvendu Adhikari in the Assembly.
The lawyer alleged police relied on verbal coercion without producing any written order or government circular.
Heated exchanges took place between the advocate-general and the petitioner's lawyer, leading the bench to expunge their remarks.
- Who
- The Calcutta High Court bench of acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Atarup Banerjee, advocate-general Surajit Nath Mitra, petitioner's lawyer Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and PIL petitioner Danish Farooqi.
- What
- The court sought the West Bengal government's reply on a PIL alleging police officers across the state pressured mosques to remove loudspeakers used for azaan.
- When
- The hearing took place on Thursday; the government was asked to respond by Tuesday.
- Where
- Calcutta High Court, West Bengal, India.
- Why
- Because the PIL alleged police coerced mosques to remove loudspeakers without any written order or government circular.
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Bench
- Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Atarup Banerjee
- PIL petitioner
- Advocate Danish Farooqi
- Petitioner's lawyer
- Kalyan Bandyopadhyay
- Advocate-General
- Surajit Nath Mitra
- Alleged affected mosques
- Around 4,000
- Core issue
- Police pressure on mosques to remove loudspeakers used for azaan
- Next step
- Government to respond by Tuesday