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The city police made an anticipated move on Friday by registering an FIR against three senior Shiv Sena functionaries, including a former Mayor, for violating noise pollution control rules during their party’s Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park on Thursday night.
A day after Thackeray said at the rally that a “machine” that could “silence” the Sena’s voice had not been invented yet, the Shivaji Park police slapped a case against former legislator Anil Parab, ex-Mayor of Mumbai Milind Vaidya and Diwakar Borkar, under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
The three Sena activists had sought permission from the police to hold the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park. After the police denied permission, the Sena had approached the Bombay High Court
While giving a conditional permission to the Shiv Sena for its Dussehra rally, the high court had, on September 27, made it mandatory on the Sena to follow the noise pollution control rules. Under the rules, the noise level in any “silent zone” should not exceed 50 decibels during day time and 40 decibels during nights.
“We have registered an FIR against the three Sena activists for violating the conditional clearance given to their party by the high court for holding a public rally at the Shivaji Park,” a senior police officer attached to the Shivaji Park police station said.
In a letter written to city Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik earlier in the day, Awaaz Foundation’s Convenor Sumaira Abdulali complained that the Sena had exceeded the noise levels prescribed by the high court.
“The background level before loudspeakers were used was 55dB. The noise levels during the speeches rose and exceeded those permitted by the noise pollution rules for a silence zone and conditions laid down by the high court,” she said.
Sumaira attached along with her letter, a report of decibel levels. According to the report, the noise levels ranged between 61 dB and 85 dB, when party leader Ramdas Kadam addressed the rally, while the levels ranged from 58 dB to 77 dB when the Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray spoke.
A day after Thackeray said at the rally that a “machine” that could “silence” the Sena’s voice had not been invented yet, the Shivaji Park police slapped a case against former legislator Anil Parab, ex-Mayor of Mumbai Milind Vaidya and Diwakar Borkar, under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
The three Sena activists had sought permission from the police to hold the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park. After the police denied permission, the Sena had approached the Bombay High Court
While giving a conditional permission to the Shiv Sena for its Dussehra rally, the high court had, on September 27, made it mandatory on the Sena to follow the noise pollution control rules. Under the rules, the noise level in any “silent zone” should not exceed 50 decibels during day time and 40 decibels during nights.
“We have registered an FIR against the three Sena activists for violating the conditional clearance given to their party by the high court for holding a public rally at the Shivaji Park,” a senior police officer attached to the Shivaji Park police station said.
In a letter written to city Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik earlier in the day, Awaaz Foundation’s Convenor Sumaira Abdulali complained that the Sena had exceeded the noise levels prescribed by the high court.
“The background level before loudspeakers were used was 55dB. The noise levels during the speeches rose and exceeded those permitted by the noise pollution rules for a silence zone and conditions laid down by the high court,” she said.
Sumaira attached along with her letter, a report of decibel levels. According to the report, the noise levels ranged between 61 dB and 85 dB, when party leader Ramdas Kadam addressed the rally, while the levels ranged from 58 dB to 77 dB when the Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray spoke.
