The Supreme Court registering a suo motu public interest case over the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations has only highlighted the lack of compliance with its orders.
Reacting to a newspaper report about a string of 11 custodial deaths in the last seven to eight months in Rajasthan, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta initiated the proceedings.
The top court has been flagging the issue since 2018, when it ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations to prevent human rights abuses. In 2020, the top court had directed the centre to install CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of apex investigative agencies, such as the CBI, ED and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The court had said states and union territories must ensure that CCTV cameras are installed in each and every police station, at all entry and exit points, at the main gate, lock-ups, corridors, lobby and reception so that no area remains uncovered.
The court said the equipment must have night vision devices as well as audio and video footage. States were mandated to procure systems that would allow storage of data for at least one year.
Despite these clear-cut directions, affidavits filed by states are often found woefully lacking in detail on the number of cameras installed, their location, recording capacity or functionality.
In May 2023, a bench headed by the then Justice Gavai had expressed disappointment that the SC order had not been complied with. It ordered chief secretaries of states and administrators of Union Territories to explain why action should not be taken against them for contempt of court.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data states that an average of 92 deaths in police custody occurred every year between 2000 and 2022. Such deaths are often mired in mystery, and the hapless kin of the victims run from pillar to post seeking justice.
In the absence of concrete proof, such cases are often brushed under the carpet. If the top court’s directives are strictly complied with, law-enforcing agencies will be left with no excuses. It is no secret that many custodial deaths are the result of extreme police torture and third-degree interrogation methods.
With the lack of surveillance equipment and the tendency to manoeuvre the system, police are able to cover up many cases. It is imperative that the top court cracks down in earnest against law-enforcing agencies that openly flout its directives.
In the case of bulldozer justice, despite the court’s strict pronouncements against arbitrary demolitions, states are going ahead with them in direct violation of the apex court directive. It is heartening to note that the top court has now taken cognisance of the serious issue of lack of CCTV surveillance in police stations.
The men and women in khaki are as accountable to the law as the common citizen, and they must not forget that they are here to serve the people, not exploit them.