Newz Desk, Durgapur: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a stern warning to states and Union Territories, directing that their principal home secretaries and directors-general of police must appear in person on December 16 if they fail to comply with its directions on installing CCTV cameras in police stations.
A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted that despite repeated orders, only 11 states have submitted compliance affidavits so far. The court granted a final three-week window, stressing that affidavits must be filed before the next hearing.
“We grant three weeks’ time to all States and Union Territories who have not filed their compliance affidavits. If by the said date the affidavits are not filed, the Principal Secretary, Department of Home Affairs, and the Director General of Police of the concerned jurisdiction shall remain present before the Court,” the bench ordered.
The directive comes amid growing concerns over custodial deaths and rising incidents of police excesses. The court has maintained that CCTV coverage in police stations is essential to ensure transparency and protect the rights of detainees.
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, sought a three-week adjournment to allow states and UTs additional time to comply.
The matter stems from a suo motu proceeding initiated by the Supreme Court after a custodial death case in Punjab. The court has appointed senior advocate Siddharth Dave as amicus curiae to assist in monitoring compliance across jurisdictions.
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