Cheap gadgets hinder probes

Despite the presence of CCTV cameras and availability of a huge volume of footage, there hasn’t been much progress in the investigation in many cases.

For instance, the Church Street blast case that was initially investigated by the city police, hit a dead-end as there were no clues about who planted the bomb or who conducted the recce. The police skimmed through large volumes of CCTV footage in and around Church Street.

From the available clear footage, people were identified and questioned, their mobile tower locations verified and corroborated. Several suspects were put on police radar and closely watched and were, one by one, ruled out from the circle of suspicion. A lot of footage obtained was grainy and useless as they were from low resolution cameras that were of substandard quality, police sources said.

Enhancing the quality of footage using advanced software also did not help. Since the central business district, especially Church Street, has several pubs and restaurants, the police had issued guidelines for installing CCTV cameras. But pubs, restaurants and other establishments installed the gadgets only to comply with police guidelines and not to enhance security, sources added.