The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government has made substantial and earnest efforts against illegal loudspeakers at religious structures and hence, there was no need to initiate any contempt action, reported news agency PTI.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne disposed of a 2018 petition filed by social activist Santosh Pachlag, seeking contempt action against the government for not complying with an August 2016 order of the HC on illegal loudspeakers violating the Noise Pollution Rules, reported PTI.
The court referred to an affidavit submitted earlier by Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla that said 2,812 loudspeakers were in use by various religious structures as of April this year.
Out of these, 343 were removed and 831 loudspeakers were given license and permission. Notices were issued to 767 structures warning them to not exceed the noise decibel limits and FIRs were lodged in 19 cases.
Government pleader Neha Bhide told the court that a nodal officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police has been appointed to monitor the action taken against such illegal loudspeakers.
The bench said it was “satisfied” that the HC`s 2016 directives have been complied with.
“It is evident that the authorities have substantially complied with the order. No case for wilful disobedience of directions of this court is made out as the authorities have made an earnest effort to comply with the order,” the HC said, reported PTI.
Hence, no contempt is made out and the contempt petition is disposed of, the court said.
HC orders Parbhani police to file FIR in Somnath Suryawanshi custodial death case within a week
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on July 4 ordered the police to register an FIR within a week in the custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi, who was arrested following violence in Parbhani in December last year.
In its interim order, the Aurangabad bench of the high court gave this direction to the inspector of Mondha police station in Parbhani, and also asked the district Superintendent of Police (SP) to hand over the probe into the case to a Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer.
Suryavanshi, 35, died at a state-run hospital in Parbhani on December 15 last while in judicial custody, days after he was arrested in connection with violence in the city over the desecration of a glass-encased replica of the Constitution. Police had said Suryavanshi died after taking ill.
A magisterial inquiry into Suryawanshi`s custodial death has concluded that police were responsible for it, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission said in March this year.
“Perusal of the report of the magisterial inquiry shows that the judicial magistrate has concluded that Suryawanshi was assaulted at Nava Mondha Police Station in Parbhani,” the Commission noted.
(With inputs from PTI)
