Tamil Nadu police stations yet to fully comply with CCTV mandate, says human rights body
People's Watch, a Madurai-based human rights organisation, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that all police stations in the State are equipped with functional CCTV cameras. The appeal comes in the wake of eight custodial death cases reported within the first 100 days of the current government's tenure.
Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director of People's Watch, noted that the Supreme Court, in 2020, had directed all police stations and investigating agencies across the country—including the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, the Narcotics Control Bureau, and the NIA—to install CCTV cameras. The order required State governments to ensure that every police station has cameras with night vision capability and a storage capacity of 18 months. The coverage was to include entry and exit points, the main gate, lock-ups, corridors, and lobbies, with posters at the entrance indicating that the station is under CCTV surveillance.
The Supreme Court had also directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to instruct Station House Officers to ensure the proper functioning, storage, and maintenance of these cameras. Despite this, the Madras High Court later observed that Tamil Nadu had not complied with the directive and instructed the State government and the DGP to adhere to the Supreme Court's mandate.
According to data gathered by People's Watch, a significant number of police stations in Tamil Nadu still lack fully operational CCTV systems. The organisation has called on the State government to immediately direct the DGP to enforce compliance with the orders of both the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court.
The installation of CCTV cameras in police stations is widely seen as a critical measure to ensure transparency, prevent custodial violence, and protect the rights of individuals in police custody. The repeated judicial directives underscore the importance of this requirement in maintaining accountability within law enforcement agencies.
