Amidst the Mosques-Loudspeaker controversy that has grappled parts of the country, starting from Maharashtra, a bizarre case has surfaced in Aurangabad. The city Police have registered a case against Kishore Malkunaik, a resident of Amrutsai Plaza Society for playing music on a Bluetooth speaker in his house, while Azaan was playing in the Mosque in front of his house.
It all started when on the evening of April 23, Kishore Malkunaik who works as a Railway Police sub-inspector was celebrating his wife’s birthday with his family of four. The sub-inspector, who lives on the fourth floor in the B-Wing of Amrutsai Plaza Housing society in Aurangabad decided to play music on a Bluetooth speaker, which was kept on the window sill in his house. Around the same time, at 7 in the evening, Azaan was being played from the mosque in front of Malkunaik’s house.
Malkunaik’s music apparently ‘disturbed’ some residents living in the society. As reported by News daily Divya Marathi, Residents Sheikh Shafiq, Sheikh Shabbir, Imran Khan, Mudassir Ansari and others called the control room of Satara Police station to lodge a complaint against Kishore Malkunaik. Inspector Surendra Malale with his team of sub-inspectors, hawaldars rushed to the site to check the situation. The police reached outside the Safa Mosque in the Silk Mill area and subsequently investigated the house of Malkunaik.
The Police team found a Bluetooth speaker kept in the window of the bedroom of the accused’s house. After a brief interrogation, Malkunaik admitted to having played music during the Azaan time. The Police have reportedly confiscated the speaker and have filed a complaint against Malkunaik. Kishore Malkunaik who works as a Railway Sub-Inspector has been booked under IPC sections 505 (B) and (C) intending to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community and Maharashtra Police clause 135.
The case is being further investigated by Satara Police station sub-inspector Karale, and if the charges are proven, the accused could be jailed for up to three years. Currently, Malkunaik is looking forward to applying for bail in a local court. Talking about the incident, he said, “On April 23, all of a sudden Police came around 8:30 in the night while we were celebrating inside our home. Imagine how much noise a Bluetooth speaker would make?” he asked. He informed that the case was registered against him the next day.
“We are living for a long time now in this society. Many Muslims live in the vicinity, and we never had issues with each other. And yet a controversy is created if I play music in my house…this is unacceptable. There is indeed a larger conspiracy behind this!” Kishore Malkunaik alleges. The Malkunaik couple who was looking forward to spending a happy time with the family was only relieved at 1 in the night after a prolonged interrogation at the police station.
While according to the accused he never played a ‘loudspeaker’ in front of the mosque during Azaan, he was booked by the police for doing the same.