Issues of CCTVs in police stations to be sorted out within two weeks, Centre assures SC

New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday assured 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 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," Venkataramani said.

The bench said that 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 under secretary in the deliberations. "Does it look nice?" the bench asked.

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 readily available software, which is in use," the bench said.

The court said that according to the amicus curiae, Siddharth Dave, 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.

The court listed the matter again on April 28.

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 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.