The Supreme Court strongly criticised the Centre and several States for not complying with its 2020 order mandating CCTV installation in all police stations, calling custodial deaths a serious “blot on the system”. The Court has granted three weeks for compliance, failing which senior officials will have to personally explain the delay.
The Supreme Court directed immediate action to fill vacancies in the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions, vital for the Right to Information Act’s implementation. A status report regarding these vacancies was requested from various states, with a next hearing set for December 17, 2024, emphasizing the importance of prompt appointments.
The Bombay High Court has extended the deadline for Maharashtra to form a committee protecting minors’ identities in abortion cases to four weeks. The committee aims to implement a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that allows minors to access medical termination of pregnancy services without disclosing their identities, aligning the MTP Act with the POCSO Act.