'Footage Must Be Stored Atleast For A Year': Madras High Court Directs DGP To Ensure Proper Functioning Of CCTV Cameras In Police Stations
The Madras High Court has observed that inspite of repeated orders passed by the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the Police Department is not equipped with CCTV cameras for storage of footage, which must be at least for a period of one year. This defeats the purpose for which the cameras are installed, the court added.Justice S.M Subramaniam of the Madurai Bench was dealing with a...
The Madras High Court has observed that inspite of repeated orders passed by the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the Police Department is not equipped with CCTV cameras for storage of footage, which must be at least for a period of one year. This defeats the purpose for which the cameras are installed, the court added.
The Petitioner had submitted that the CCTV footage of the police station may be verified to confirm his illegal detention. However, the Government Pleader informed the Court that CCTV footage in a police station is maintained only for 30 days and thereafter it is automatically erased. Thus, there is no scope for verifying the CCTV footage.
At the outset, the High Court noted that as per Supreme Court's directions in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh & Others, CCTV footage in police stations should be stored for a period of at least 18 months.
"Therefore, the police station must be installed with the CCTV cameras, wherein, the footage can be stored at least for a period of one year so as to conduct verification or enquiry whenever serious allegations are raised against the officials and against other persons....The very purpose and object of CCTV cameras will be defeated, if the footage is automatically erased within 15 or 30 days. Therefore, this Court is of an opinion that best technologically equipped CCTV cameras must be installed or storage points must be provided for keeping the CCTV footage at least for a minimum period of one year", the court observed.
"Constitutional Courts expect that the affidavits filed are with some substance as it is a sworn affidavit and therefore, the truth must be stated. It may be easy for the High Court to dismiss the writ petition merely by stating that the petitioner has not produced any evidence regarding the demand of bribe. As rightly pointed out by the learned counsel for the petitioner that such demand will not be made with evidence...However, the Courts have to find out a solution for these allegations, which are all frequently raised against the public officials and many number of writ petitions are filed seeking direction to initiate action against the public officials including the police officials."