The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Police and the Delhi government to respond to a petition raising concerns that CCTV cameras are still not installed in all police stations, even though the Supreme Court had earlier issued clear directions mandating such installation.
The Delhi High Court requested a response from the Delhi Police and the Delhi government regarding a petition expressing concerns that CCTV cameras have not yet been installed in all police stations, despite directives from the Supreme Court to that effect.
The petitioner asserts that no CCTV cameras were in place at the Anti-Narcotics Task Force Crime Branch Office in Delhi, where he was arrested related to an alleged seizure of narcotics from his shop.
In addition to seeking a declaration that his arrest was unlawful, he has asked the court to direct the authorities to confirm the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations in Delhi.
The Division Bench, comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shail Jain, has also called for a response from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and other relevant parties.
Earlier, On March 9, the court instructed the authorities to submit their response within three weeks. The petitioner, Ajay, shared that he was apprehended in a drug-related case after attending the Crime Branch Office for questioning, following the alleged recovery of three kilograms of Alprazolam from his shop.
He subsequently filed a request for the preservation and supply of CCTV footage from within the Crime Branch office. However, a police official responded that no CCTV cameras were installed in that location.
Consequently, he submitted a petition to the High Court highlighting this oversight. The petition cites the 2021 Supreme Court ruling in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh, which mandates the installation of CCTV cameras within police stations.
According to this ruling, if CCTV cameras are unavailable, the Station House Officer must report all arrests and interrogations conducted during that time to a District Level Oversight Committee.
Ajay noted that there were no CCTV cameras in the station where he was arrested, nor was there any report submitted concerning his arrest to the District Level Oversight Committee.
Thus, Ajay has urged the court to declare his arrest and custodial interrogation illegal and to conduct an inquiry into the matter. He has also requested that the court direct the authorities to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2021 judgment regarding the installation of CCTV systems at police stations.
The case is scheduled for a hearing on April 30.
Ajay’s petition was filed through advocates Karan Verma, Nayan Maggo, Yuvraj Singh, and Sulakshana. Advocates Karan Verma, Nayan Maggo, and Yuvraj Singh represented Ajay, while Standing Counsel (Criminal) Sanjay Lao, along with advocates Priyam Agarwal, Abhinav Kr. Arya, and Aryan Sachdeva, represented the Delhi government.
Central government standing counsel Neeraj Kumar, accompanied by advocate Shashwat, represented the MHA.
Case Title: Ajay vs State of NCT of Delhi
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