VIJAYAWADA: Taking note of the police department’s response that CCTV cameras are not functioning in the petitions filed regarding alleged illegal detention cases, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the State government to submit a detailed report on the performance of CCTV cameras installed at police stations across the State.
Noting that there are 1,392 police stations across the State, a division bench, comprising Justices R Raghunandan Rao and K Maheswara Rao, questioned why CCTV cameras had been installed in only 1,001 of them. The court further enquired why only 785 out of 1,226 CCTV cameras installed in jails across the State were functioning. The government was asked to explain the steps taken to repair the non-functional cameras.
The court also sought clarification on whether the government had installed CCTV cameras in accordance with Supreme Court directives. “Were they installed to cover the entire premises of the police station?” the Bench asked. Additionally, the Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) in the State were directed to submit reports on the matter to the head of the Information Technology Department.
Moreover, the State government was instructed to file an affidavit providing details of CCTV cameras in police stations and jails, including information on their maintenance, repairs, storage of footage, and current capacity. Emphasising that, as per Supreme Court orders, CCTV footage must be stored for 12 months, the High Court enquired about the current storage capacity of police stations and sought details of the storage methods and backup procedures. The case was adjourned for further hearing on March 10.
CCTV cameras not installed in 391 PSs, claims petitioner
The High Court issued these orders in response to the contempt plea filed by advocate Thandava Yogesh in 2022, alleging non-compliance with Supreme Court directions regarding the installation of CCTV cameras in police stations.
During the proceedings, when the Special Government Pleader claimed that CCTV cameras had been installed in all police stations with lock-ups, Yogesh pointed out that they had not been installed in 391 police stations.
Additionally, the High Court Registry was directed to attach the Habeas Corpus petition filed by Katari Nagaraju in the case of his missing brother, Katari Gopiraju, to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and contempt plea of Thandava Yogesh.