FIR lodged for Bhajan Sandhya event on road till 2.30am

Bhopal: Gautam Nagar police registered an FIR against members of Ramrajya Mitra Mandal for allegedly blocking the road and violating noise pollution norms during a Khatu Shyam bhajan sandhya programme near Ganesh Mandir Trisection on Chhola Road that continued till early Thursday.

According to the FIR lodged by a sub-inspector posted at Gautam Nagar police station, police personnel, including traffic staff, had been deployed at the venue on May 20 for traffic management and security arrangements during the programme.

Police alleged that the organisers blocked the main Chhola Road in front of Ganesh Mandir, causing inconvenience to commuters and local residents. The FIR said that large sound system boxes were being operated at volumes beyond the permissible limit late into the night, disturbing people in the locality.

According to police, the organisers were instructed to stop the high-volume sound system and remove the stage from the public road due to the late hour and disruption to traffic movement. However, they allegedly failed to comply with the directions.

Following the incident, Gautam Nagar police registered a case under section 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for obstruction of public way and section 7/15 of the Noise Pollution Act. The matter has been taken up for investigation.

Elaborating on the violations, police said one of the organisers, Lokesh, had sought permission for the programme mentioning that it would be held between 9 pm and 1 am. However, the event allegedly continued past 2.30 am.

Police further said the programme was supposed to be organised within the courtyard of Ganesh Mandir, but the organisers blocked the road from Tuesday itself, a day before the event, disrupting traffic movement in the area.

Cops pointed out that as per Supreme Court guidelines, loudspeakers are permitted only till 10 pm and are prohibited between 10 pm and 6 am. Several residents of the locality allegedly faced inconvenience due to loud noise and traffic disruption caused during the programme.

Cops further said the organisers have not yet submitted the permission allegedly granted for the event, and police suspect that the permission application may have been rejected.

ACP Rakesh Baghel said a case has been registered against the organisers for allegedly blocking the road and operating loudspeakers beyond the permitted time limit. He added that further investigation is underway.