Bhopal, March 5 A group of disc jockeys (DJs), furious over police crackdowns on their high-decibel sound systems, reportedly pelted stones at the police personnel and blocked the Indore-Ahmedabad highway near Kardavad village in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district.
The conflict arose on Wednesday -- a reaction to police measures against playing loud music -- often featured in marriage processions and religious events. Few police personnel also received injuries.
The police had to shell tear gas and use mild force to quell the mob.
Authorities are strictly enforcing noise regulations to maintain lower sound levels, particularly during the ongoing school exam season.
Speaking to IANS over the phone, a police official from Jhabua said that while the police were attempting to explain that their actions were in compliance with Supreme Court guidelines, a group of DJs suddenly appeared from nowhere and staged a road-block on the Indore-Ahmedabad highway and started pelting stones when additional police forces arrived at the spot.
The incident resulted in injuries to some police personnel and road blockade for around three hours.
However, the police have cleared the road and no casualty has been reported, the official further said, adding, “so far no FIR has been lodged against any person".
The DJs are demanding unrestricted freedom to play music, especially during barat (marriage) processions.
The Jhabua district administration has issued orders banning the use of loud sound systems and the use of high-decibel sound boxes, including in religious places, to combat noise pollution from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
This ban is welcomed by students preparing for the upcoming Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations.
On the other hand, a DJ told IANS, urging anonymity, that the ban has pushed their business into deep red.
The orders (to play songs) which they used to receive during the marriage season have been drastically reduced due to police action which has placed severe financial strain on each family where any disc jockey is the main bread-earner.
Owners of DJ systems, hotels, restaurants, and bars must now obtain licenses to operate within prescribed noise limits. Those who violate the regulations will be prosecuted under section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The ban is already in force across the state.
Two days ago, on Monday, a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the state government and other respondents in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on high-decibel DJs.
Advocate Amitabh Gupta, the petitioner, highlighted the health risks and law-and-order problems caused by loud DJs at social and religious events.
He urged the court to ban the use and sale of loudspeakers exceeding the permissible limit of 75 decibels and to direct the state government to take necessary actions to prevent the public nuisance created by unregulated DJ sounds.
The state government told the court that FIRs are being filed against individuals using such loudspeakers.
Following the initial hearing, Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vinay Jain issued notices to the state government and other respondents.
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