The Imam, or prayer leader, of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal was fined Rs two lakh on Friday for allegedly using a loudspeaker at high volume, reported PTI.

Quoting unidentified officials, the news agency reported that the incident took place in the Anar Wali Masjid of the Kot Garvi area.

“The Imam, identified as 23-year-old Tahzeeb, was fined Rs 2 lakh as a precautionary measure and has been granted bail,” Vandana Mishra, the sub-divisional magistrate of Sambhal, was quoted as saying.

This came weeks after at least four persons died in Sambhal during protests against a survey of a mosque.

On November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal after a group of Muslims objected to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town.

A trial court had ordered the survey in response to a suit claiming that the mosque had been built in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babar on the site of the “centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki”.

Thirty-two persons have been arrested for the violence during the survey, while over 400 accused persons have been identified.

On Wednesday, the police held meetings with representatives of Hindu and Muslim communities and “unanimously decided to remove loudspeakers installed outside religious places”, according to PTI.

The district magistrate has also launched a drive against alleged encroachments and power theft in the area surrounding Shahi Jama Masjid, according to Hindustan Times.

“There was encroachment on roads, sewers, water bodies, and that too for a long time,” Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia told ANI. He added that the drive to fix this was due to start in November but could not.

Pensia said that over 1,200 first information reports have been registered and the anti-encroachment drive will continue over the next two to three months.

Drive against alleged encroachment and electricity theft in Sambhal.

On Saturday, the district magistrate also said that a well was allegedly discovered near an “ancient Lord Shiva temple” and was reopened after 42 years during a drive to inspect electricity theft.

“The temple will be handed over to people of the community to whom the temple belongs,” the official was quoted as saying by ANI. “Action will be taken against those who encroached upon the temple…The Archaeological Survey of India should find out how ancient the temple is through carbon dating.”

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