Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Notice Over Non-Functional CCTV Cameras in Police Stations

The Supreme Court has registered a suo motu PIL after a Dainik Bhaskar report revealed 11 custodial deaths in the past 7–8 months, citing a lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations.

Despite the Court’s 2020 order mandating CCTV installation with night vision and audio in all police stations and central agency offices like CBI, NIA, ED, and NCB, compliance remains poor.

The earlier judgment had also required states to ensure access to electricity and the internet, even via solar or wind power, and mandated the preservation of footage for human rights cases. 

The Court will now examine systemic lapses behind custodial deaths.