Centre to SC: CCTV issues in police stations will be settled in 2 weeks

The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that all issues concerning the installation of CCTVs in police stations across the country would be sorted out within two weeks.

Attorney General R Venkataramani told a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that he was taking stock of the issue and a lot of things were happening.

The Union home secretary also appeared in court in pursuance of the apex court’s April 6 order asking him to remain present before it on Tuesday so that appropriate assistance might be drawn from him in implementation of the scheme for installation of CCTVs in police stations.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas, including a suo motu case over the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations. “I am taking stock of the issues,” the attorney general told the bench.

Justice Nath said the top court had earlier asked the amicus curiae in the matter to hold meetings with all the states and Union Territories (UTs), and the Union of India was represented by an undersecretary in the deliberations.

“Does it look nice?” Justice Nath said.

The top law officer said a lot of things are happening in the matter and he would have a series of meetings with the amicus and the Home Secretary.

The bench said during the hearing on Monday, it was pointed out that Keralam has come out with a very nice software and they have implemented it fully.

“So, we were requesting the additional solicitor general (who appeared for the Centre on Monday), why can’t you follow it uniformly for all the states. Instead of every state creating its own software and spending money and time, there is already a ready software which is in use,” the bench said.

It said that according to the amicus, Keralam, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already set up centralised dashboards. “You can issue guidelines to all the states requesting them or directing them to follow the same pattern as that of Kerala,” the bench said. Venkataramani said he would hold meetings with the amicus and the authorities. “Upon instructions, the attorney general has stated that within two weeks, he would make sure that all the issues are sorted out by holding regular meetings with the amicus and the other relevant officers. List this matter again on April 28,” the bench said.

It said the amicus may file a fresh status report by the next date of hearing and the Centre may also file an affidavit, if any. “The personal appearance of the home secretary will not be necessary in the future unless required otherwise,” the bench said.

Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, who is assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the matter, had on Monday informed the bench that most of the states have done the installation of CCTVs and they were in the process of setting up centralised dashboards.

On February 26, the apex court directed the Centre and others to participate in a meeting to deliberate upon the feasibility, modalities and implementation framework of the issues, including creation of a centralised dashboard and standardisation of CCTV infrastructure in police stations.

The top court had earlier directed registration of a suo motu case over the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations after taking cognisance of a media report.

The apex court had in 2018 ordered the installation of CCTV cameras across police stations to check human rights abuses.

In December 2020, the top court directed the Centre to install CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of investigating agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

It said that states and UTs should ensure that CCTV cameras were installed at every police station, at all entry and exit points, main gate, lock-ups, corridors, lobby and reception, as well as in areas outside the lock-up rooms so that no part was left uncovered.

The top court said that CCTV systems must be equipped with night vision and have audio as well as video footage.

The court made it mandatory for the Centre, states and the UTs to purchase such systems which allow storage of data for at least one year.