Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Non-Functional CCTV Cameras in Police Stations Across India

In a significant development aimed at reinforcing police accountability, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday registered a suo motu case addressing the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across the country.

A division bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta initiated the proceedings based on an investigative report published by Dainik Bhaskar, which highlighted alarming statistics regarding custodial deaths. According to the report, at least 11 individuals have died in police custody over the past seven to eight months in 2025 alone — a grim reminder of the urgent need for surveillance and accountability mechanisms within law enforcement institutions.

The apex court’s move brings renewed attention to its earlier directions in the landmark Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh case (2020), wherein it had mandated all States and Union Territories to ensure the installation and proper maintenance of CCTV cameras in every police station and interrogation room under their jurisdiction.

Despite this binding directive, compliance remains sporadic and unsatisfactory. Several police stations either lack CCTV infrastructure altogether or have systems that are non-functional or poorly maintained, rendering the safeguards envisaged by the court ineffective.

The bench observed that non-compliance with its 2020 judgment compromises the constitutional and human rights of citizens, particularly those in police custody. The court is expected to examine why the directions laid down nearly five years ago have not been fully implemented and whether there has been any accountability for the failures.

Legal experts believe the suo motu action could prompt a renewed push for transparency in custodial procedures, and may lead to strict monitoring mechanisms, funding provisions, and possibly the imposition of penalties for non-compliance by state authorities.

The matter is likely to be listed for hearing in the coming days, where the Court may seek detailed affidavits from all States and Union Territories regarding the status of CCTV installation, operational effectiveness, data storage capabilities, and maintenance protocols.

This suo motu initiative marks yet another effort by the judiciary to safeguard fundamental rights and ensure that incidents of custodial torture and deaths are not allowed to go unnoticed or unaccounted for.