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Orders State-Wide Police CCTV Protocol Audit
In a move to strengthen transparency within the law enforcement machinery, the has issued a significant directive concerning the surveillance infrastructure in the state's police stations. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad has mandated the (DGP) to undertake a comprehensive of all police stations across Maharashtra regarding the status of their CCTV camera systems and data storage capabilities.
Background: A Gap in Accountability The petitioner in the case, Prashant Satyawan Kokane, highlighted a critical failure regarding the preservation of evidence. Despite requesting the preservation of footage from his local police station within a month of an incident in , he was informed that the data was unavailable. The maintained that footage is only preserved for a period of six months—a direct contradiction to established court mandates requiring an 18-month backup, as per the ’s ruling in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh .
The petitioner, appearing in person, argued that the lack of functional cameras and the premature deletion of records pose a threat to the to a fair and evidence-backed .
and The Mandate The court referenced the ’s landmark judgment in , which stipulates that police stations must install CCTV cameras in key areas, including entry/exit points, lobbies, corridors, and lock-ups, to ensure complete coverage. Furthermore, the had previously accepted from the in , where the state committed to: 1. Ensuring 18 months of data backup capacity. 2. Installing backup power generation to ensure uninterrupted recording. 3. Conducting regular oversight and maintenance of the systems.
Key Observations The bench expressed deep concern regarding the discrepancy between the State's earlier assurances and the current ground reality. During the proceedings, the Court noted:
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"We are aware of the several orders passed by this Court calling upon the State Administration to ensure proper functioning of the CCTV cameras and provide adequate hard disk capacities in order to preserve the data at least for a year."
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"The must forthwith take steps to ensure that the recording / data back-up is to be enhanced to 18 months... We trust and expect that the / police machinery will treat these commitments with utmost seriousness."
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"In the present case, CCTV footage is not available considering that the incident is of March, 2025."
The Court’s Directive The Court has now placed the onus squarely on the to answer for these systemic lapses. The DGP must: 1. Conduct a fact-finding exercise across all police stations in Maharashtra. 2. Report on the functionality of existing CCTV systems. 3. Verify the current duration of in each precinct. 4. Explain why the and others are ostensibly failing to meet the 18-month data preservation mandate.
This report is to be submitted to the High Court by , marking a pivotal moment in the court's effort to ensure that the "all-seeing eye" of the CCTV does not blink when the public needs it most. The matter is currently listed for further hearing on .
