Use of loudspeakers at religious places can’t be claimed as right: Allahabad HC

Allahabad HC ruled loudspeakers at religious sites can't be claimed as a right due to nuisance, dismissing a petition for their installation at a Masjid.

With the observation that religious places are for offering prayers, the Allahabad high court has held the use of loudspeakers cannot be claimed as a right because it often causes nuisance to residents and dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction to direct the state authorities to permit to install loudspeakers on a Masjid.

The counsel for the state objected to the maintainability of the writ petition. (For Representation)

Dismissing a writ petition filed by one Mukhtiyar Ahmad of Pilibhit district, a division bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Donadi Ramesh on January 22 observed, “Religious places are for offering prayers to the divinity and use of loudspeakers cannot be claimed as a matter of right, particularly when often such use of loudspeakers create nuisance for the residents”.

At the outset, the counsel for the state objected to the maintainability of the writ petition on the grounds that the petitioner is neither a Mutawalli nor the Masjid belongs to him.

While finding substance in the state’s objection, the court noted that the petitioner did not have locus to file the writ petition. The term ‘locus’ is a legal concept that refers to the right of a person or entity to participate in a legal proceeding or bring a lawsuit.