NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday reserved the order in a suo motu PIL in connection with the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations for September 26.
During the course of the hearing on Monday, the Bench of the apex court suggested and observed the need for a Control Room. It would ensure that there is no human intervention, highlighting that in case any camera goes off, it is immediately noted.
"That is the only way the issue can be tackled. Initially, there has to be inspection of every police station, and, we will think of involving a few IITs, to provide a solution so that every CCTV is monitored at a particular place and the 'monitoring' should not be by human, but all by AI," observed, a two-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta.
The apex court had in 2018 ordered the installation of CCTVs (Closed Circuit Televisions) cameras in police stations to check human rights abuses.
Earlier, on September 4, the apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report which stated there were 11 deaths in police custody in Rajasthan in the past eight months.
Taking cognisance of it, the Supreme Court had directed registration of the suo motu PIL over the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations. The Bench had on last Thursday, while referring to the media report, said, "...we are directing for registration of a suo motu Public Interest Litigation titled 'lack of functional CCTVs in police stations' as it has been reported that there are about 11 deaths in the last seven-eight months of this year in police custody".
Earlier the top court had ordered to ensure surveillance in the offices of central agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) and any other agency which carries out interrogations and has the power of arrest.
The apex court had earlier clarified that CCTVs and recording equipment, would be used as a safeguard to protect the fundamental right to dignity and life.
“As most of these agencies carry out interrogation in their office(s), CCTVs shall be compulsorily installed in all offices where interrogation and holding of accused takes place in the same manner as it would in a police station,” Justice Nariman, who authored the judgment, had directed.
The apex court had said that States and Union Territories (UTs) should ensure that CCTV cameras were installed at each and every police station, at all entry and exit points, main gate, lock-ups, corridors, lobby, reception and areas outside the lock-up rooms so that no part was left uncovered.
Highlighting that the CCTV systems must be equipped with night vision and have audio as well as video footage, the apex court said, it shall be mandatory for the Centre, states and UTs to purchase systems which allow storage of data for at least one year.