SC files suo motu case on lack of security cameras in police stations

The Supreme Court on Thursday filed a suo motu case on the lack of functional security cameras in police stations across the country after taking cognisance of a news report about custodial deaths, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took the action based on a report by Dainik Bhaskar, which stated that 11 persons had died in police custody in Rajasthan in the past eight months.

“Based on Dainik Bhaskar, we are directing for a suo motu public interest litigation titled ‘lack of functional CCTVs in police stations’, as it has been reported that there are 11 death in last 7-8 month in year 2025 in police custody,” Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying in its order.

In December 2020, the court directed all states and Union Territories to install security cameras with audio, video and night vision capabilities at all police stations.

It had also directed the Union government to install cameras at the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate, the Narcotics Control Bureau and any other such offices where interrogations are carried out, Bar and Bench reported.

However, despite these directions, police have frequently cited missing footage or non-functional cameras as reasons for not providing recordings, Bar and Bench reported.
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