SUPREME COURT QUESTIONS RAJASTHAN OVER ABSENCE OF CCTV IN INTERROGATION ROOMS, DEMANDS EXPLANATION FOR 11 CUSTODIAL DEATHS:

The Supreme Court of India has raised serious concerns regarding the absence of CCTV cameras in the interrogation rooms of police stations across Rajasthan. During the hearing of a suo motu case initiated by the Court over the lack of functional CCTV systems in police stations, the bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta scrutinized an affidavit filed by the Rajasthan government and noted significant deficiencies in the state’s compliance.

Justice Sandeep Mehta observed that the affidavit revealed a striking omission—the interrogation rooms of police stations had no CCTV cameras installed. He remarked that this was particularly alarming since interrogation rooms are precisely where surveillance is most necessary. The Court emphasized that transparency in these areas is vital to safeguard human rights and prevent abuse during police questioning.

The bench directed the State of Rajasthan to present a concrete proposal for maintaining effective oversight of CCTV surveillance in its police stations. It acknowledged that implementing such a system might involve financial expenditure but clarified that monetary considerations could not override fundamental human rights protections. The Court also sought an explanation from the state regarding the 11 reported deaths that occurred in police custody over the past eight to nine months, as reported by Dainik Bhaskar.

Justice Mehta underscored the importance of centralized monitoring of CCTV feeds. He noted that, similar to how footage from road surveillance cameras is transmitted to centralized command centres in Rajasthan, police station camera feeds should also be linked to a centralized agency. This, he explained, would ensure that authorities are immediately alerted when a camera malfunctions or goes offline, enabling prompt corrective action.

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, acting as Amicus Curiae, reminded the Court of its earlier directions in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh (2020), which mandated that CCTV cameras be installed in all areas of police stations, except near washrooms. He pointed out that despite these clear instructions, the Union government, 16 states, and 3 Union Territories had yet to achieve full compliance. The bench assured that it would ensure adherence to these directions in due course.

When the Rajasthan government’s counsel informed the Court that oversight was handled by a nodal officer, Justice Mehta questioned the effectiveness of such a mechanism. He suggested that instead of relying on manual checks, the government could establish a digital dashboard system to monitor CCTV feeds in real time. Drawing examples from technology-driven governance models, Justice Mehta cited how systems developed by Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services manage tax and passport services respectively, suggesting that similar technological solutions could be employed for police surveillance oversight.

The bench ultimately decided to re-list the matter, allowing the Union and the States to respond to the Amicus Curiae’s report and directing the State of Rajasthan to file a detailed reply addressing the Court’s observations.

This suo motu case was registered by the Supreme Court on September 4, following media reports highlighting the deaths of 11 individuals in police custody within a short span of seven to eight months. The Court has previously expressed concern that even where CCTV cameras are installed, they can be deliberately switched off by officials. Consequently, it is now considering a system of independent, technology-based monitoring that minimizes human interference. On September 26, the Court posed twelve specific queries to the State of Rajasthan, including whether regular audits are carried out to verify the functioning of CCTVs, the duration for which footage is preserved, and whether mechanisms for surprise inspections and forensic validation are in place to ensure tamper-proof surveillance.

Through its observations, the Supreme Court has once again reiterated the importance of transparency and accountability in policing, emphasizing that technological solutions must be used proactively to protect the fundamental rights of individuals in custody.