BENGALURU: The Karnataka HC on Tuesday directed the DGP to make body cameras available to all police officers, who are allowed to make arrests, to show the manner of arrests. This was one of many directions issued by the court to police officers and trial courts on handcuffing accused, undertrial prisoners or convicts, while ordering the state government to pay a `2 lakh compensation to a youth, who was illegally handcuffed by the Ankali police in Belagavi in a cheque bounce case.
“The camera should be equipped with a microphone. The video with audio recording should be retained for a year. An SOP should be prepared by the DGP and training provided to arresting officers,” the court said. Allowing the petition filed by Suprit Ishwar Divate, a farmer from Yadur of Chikodi in Belagavi district, Justice Suraj Govindaraj granted the government the liberty to recover the compensation amount from the delinquent officers.
“The petitioner has claimed `25 lakh as compensation... It cannot be awarded taking into consideration he was a student and the arrest was made in furtherance of an NBW which had been issued. The arrest being proper, the question being handcuffing not being required, I deem it fit to award `2 lakh as compensation,” it said.