The High Court of Punjab and Haryana asks whether the CCTVs installed in police station work or not?
Kamla Devi
Vs.
State of Punjab
Date of decision: 21.08.2023
CRWP-5521-2021
CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ALOK JAIN
FACT:
The inquiry was initiated upon learning about a set of requests submitted for the placement of surveillance cameras in police stations. This group of pleas encompasses a submission from Gangster Kaushal, who claimed to have experienced police mistreatment while in their custody. In February 2022, Justice Amol Rattan Singh’s panel instructed the Punjab, Haryana, and UT Chandigarh administrations to place closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) in all police stations, including interrogation rooms. These cameras should have the capacity to store footage for 18 months, aligning with the Supreme Court’s directive in the case of Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh and others (2021). In this earlier case, the Supreme Court had mandated State and Union Territory Governments to guarantee the installation of CCTV cameras in every functioning Police Station under their jurisdiction
COURT ANALYSIS AND DECISION:
The High Court of Punjab & Haryana has requested the Chandigarh administration, along with the Punjab and Haryana governments, to provide information regarding the current situation of CCTV cameras that have been set up in police stations. Under the guidance of Justice Alok Jain, the legal representatives representing the respective states and union territory have been instructed to submit a precise affidavit containing information about the following aspects: Are all the Cameras/CCTV systems operational? What is the duration of storage capacity for CCTV camera recordings? What measures or agreements are in place for the adequate repair and maintenance of these systems?
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