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New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday rapped the Center and several state governments for not complying with its directions to make functional CCTV cameras mandatory in all police stations.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, hearing the suo motu case titled ‘Lack of functional CCTV in police stations’, said it appeared that the Center was taking the apex court “very lightly”.
The Justice Nath-led bench took cognizance of a media report which revealed that 11 people died in police custody in Rajasthan in the first eight months of 2025, seven of them in Udaipur division alone.
During the hearing, senior advocate Siddharth Dave, who is assisting the apex court as amicus curiae, presented a detailed chart highlighting the status of compliance received from various states.
Dave said most states have failed to address the standard operating procedures (SOPs) required for installation, maintenance and data protection of CCTV systems.
A bench led by Justice Nath remarked that Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a “model state”, where every police station is reportedly linked to the central surveillance control room.
It took strong objection to the Centre’s failure to file any affidavit or compliance report despite repeated instructions.
“The union still lacks compliance. The union is taking the court very lightly. Why?” the bench led by Justice Nath asked.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the top court that an affidavit would be filed, but replied that “not just an affidavit, but compliance” was expected.
The top court said, “Now this country will not tolerate this stigma.” The amicus further highlighted that agencies like NIA and CBI lack a dedicated budget for CCTV infrastructure.
In its order, the Supreme Court said that only 11 states/UTs had filed compliance affidavits in the suo motu case. A bench led by Justice Kant directed the remaining states and central agencies to file their affidavits by December 16, giving a final extension of 3 weeks.
The top court made it clear that failure to comply will result in personal appearance of the chief secretaries of the guilty states and heads of the respective investigating agencies.
The Supreme Court has already ordered installation of CCTV cameras in police stations to maintain transparency and curb incidents of custodial torture.
It had directed that no part of the police station be left exposed and that the footage be preserved in digital or network video recorders for at least 18 months.
In 2023, the top court had given the Center and states a “last chance” to comply within three months. It also made Station House Officers (SHOs) personally responsible for maintenance, data backup and repair of CCTV systems.
–IANS
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