HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has ordered the DGP to submit a report by March 10, on the status of CCTVs and maintenance of footage in all police stations in the State. The court has taken a serious view of the CCTVs not functioning in the police stations and the non-maintenance of the footage of cameras for almost six months.
When dealing with a contempt case filed by Chevva Madhavulu of Thimmajipet in Nagarkurnool district, who claimed that the sub-inspector manhandled him in the police station and asked for action against him, Justice Kanneganti Lalitha issued these directions. He contacted the Nagarkurnool SP to voice his complaints but was unresponsive. The hospital also declined to treat it as a medico legal case. Following this, Madhavulu moved the high court to contest it.
The petitioner’s counsel, Madhavaram Rameshwara Rao, informed the court that the higher authorities weren’t even paying attention to Madhavulu’s argument. Based on this, the HC ordered the SP of Nagarkurnool to consider Madhavulu’s representation and act appropriately on September 27.Madhavulu filed a contempt case since his representation received no response.
On February 13, the court ordered the SP of Nagarkurnool to check the CCTV video and the veracity of the petitioner’s accusations. The CCTV cameras in the police station, according to the government counsel, haven’t been operational for 10 months.
In response to these remarks, Justice Lalitha recalled the Supreme Court’s instructions in a case where the police were required to keep CCTV video for at least six months. The court criticised the Telangana police for disobeying the Supreme Court’s orders. The court ordered the DGP to submit information on the status of the CCTV cameras and the method used to store recorded video.In Madhavulu case, the court ordered the Nagarkurnool SP to personally review the CCTV tape from that day and deliver it to the court by March 10.