CCTVs in police stations, vulnerable areas imperative: HC

The Delhi High Court today said it is "imperative" that all the 192 police stations in the national capital as well as vulnerable public areas in the city have CCTV cameras.

A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva issued the directions to Delhi Police and the AAP government for setting up the cameras in the police stations and public areas, respectively.

Both the police and the Delhi government were directed to file affidavits before November 16 indicating the timeline for installing the cameras.

The court also told the police that in those stations where CCTVs were installed several years ago, the cameras be upgraded.

Taking note of recent reports of incidents of rapes of minors, the bench told the agency to look into prevention of such crimes as well as expediting prosecution in such cases by setting up a special task force for the purpose.

The bench also issued directions to expedite testing of forensic samples.

It laid emphasis on older cases, especially biological samples and those that may be corrupted by passage of time, being taken up first for testing.

The directions and observations of the court came while hearing a PIL initiated by it in 2012 after the December 16, 2012 gangrape of a young woman in a moving bus.

The victim had later succumbed to the injuries inflicted upon her by the rapists.

The court has been from time to time issuing directions to the police, the Delhi government and the Centre on the issues of augmenting the police force, better forensic labs and faster testing of samples as well as ensuring compensation to victims of sexual offences. PTI HMP SKV ZMN