Subheadline: Pune Police inspected 1,100 Dahihandi mandals and seized sound equipment found to be in breach of restrictions on high-volume systems.
Pune | September 8, 2026 — Pune Police have filed 116 cases against mandals accused of exceeding permitted noise levels during Dahihandi celebrations and seized six sound systems, following inspections across the city and its suburbs.
The action followed warnings issued to organisers that legal measures would be taken if sound limits were breached during the festival. Police used decibel-measuring devices while checking sound systems at 1,100 mandals, according to information released by the department.
Police said the seized equipment included four pressure-mid units, four plasma sound systems and six sound-amplification systems. Pressure-mid and plasma sound equipment had been prohibited under instructions issued for festival sound systems.
The highest number of cases was recorded in the central part of Pune, identified by the police as Zone One. A total of 55 mandals in that zone faced cases. The police did not provide a zone-wise breakdown for the remaining cases in the information available.
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had directed mandals organising Dahihandi and Ganeshotsav events to use a sound system comprising four bass units and four top units. The instructions also prohibited the use of pressure-mid and plasma sound equipment.
According to the police, most mandals complied with the directions, while some did not use loudspeakers. The inspections were conducted across central Pune and suburban areas as part of enforcement during the festival.
“Action has been taken against mandals that exceeded the noise limit during Dahihandi. Police have filed cases against 116 mandals,” the police said. The department also stated that the prohibited equipment was seized after its use was detected during inspections.
The cases and seizures form part of the city police’s enforcement of sound restrictions during public festivals. The instructions issued for Dahihandi are also relevant to the forthcoming Ganeshotsav period, for which the same limits on sound-system configuration and the prohibition on pressure-mid and plasma sound equipment apply.
