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2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 53462
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
L. Victoria Gowri, J
C. Santhi – Appellant
Versus
Director General of Police – Respondent
WP CRL.(MD). No.3064 of 2026|WMP CRL.(MD). No.754 of 2026
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mohamed Azarudeen Sharof
For the Respondents: D.Rajaboopathy
The right to information is a fundamental right ensured by the Constitution, entitling a citizen to access CCTV footage from police station premises for legal defense, independent of the merits of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Headnote:The petitioner sought a Writ of Mandamus to compel the respondents to preserve and furnish CCTV footage from the Periyakulam police station for the period between 25.02.2026 and 26.02.2026, citing its necessity to prove innocence in Crime No.138 of 2026. The respondents opposed this, alleging that the petitioner had engaged in violence and assaulted a police officer during a summoned enquiry. The primary issue was whether the petitioner is entitled to the retrieval and provision of electronic records from a police station's CCTV system. The court reasoned that the right to information is a fundamental right ensured by the Constitution, which entitles the party to the sought-after information regardless of the merits of the registered FIR. With the above direction, this Writ Petition is disposed of.
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. the petitioner seeks preservation of cctv footage to prove innocence following an allegation of violence and assault on police. (Para 1 , 2 , 3) |
| 2. right to information is a fundamental constitutional right yielding access to records. (Para 4 , 5) |
| 3. disposal of the writ petition with directions to furnish the requested footage. (Para 6) |
PRAYER :-
To issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to forthwith secure, retrieve, preserve and furnish copies of the CCTV footage and connected electronic records from all CCTV cameras installed in and around Periyakulam police station, Theni District, including the lock up, station premises, interrogation rooms, corridors, entrances and exits, covering the period from 25.02.2026 to 26.02.2026, based on the petitioner's representation dated 11.03.2026 and 11.04.2026 in connection with Crime No.138 of 2026 on the file of the Periyakulam Police Station, in accordance with law.
ORDER
This Writ Petition is filed seeking to issue Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to forthwith secure, retrieve, preserve and furnish copies of the CCTV footage and connected electronic records from all CCTV cameras installed in and around Periyakulam police station, Theni District, including the lock up, station premises, interrogation rooms, corridors, entrances and exits, covering the period from 25.02.2026 to 26.02.2026, based on the petitioner's representation dated 11.03.2026 and 11.04.2026 in connection with Crime No.138 of 2026 on the file of the Periyakulam Police Station, in accordance with law.
2. The Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that at the instance of this Court earlier, a writ petition filed by the petitioner was disposed of directing the respondent police to conduct a proper enquiry on her complaint as expeditiously as possible pursuant to which the petitioner had appeared before the said police station during which the petitioner was falsely implicated in a criminal case. For the purpose of proving her innocence, it is necessary that the CCTV footage available in the petition mentioned premises, need to be preserved by the respondent police.
3. The learned Government Advocate vehemently opposed the petitioner's request and submitted that pursuant to the order passed by this Court in Crl.OP(MD)No.2493 of 2026 dated 09.02.2026, the petitioner as well as the rival parties were summoned. However, the petitioner and her men had indulged in violence as against the rival parties in the presence of police authorities and they had even gone to the extent of assaulting a police officer. As a result of which Crime No.138 of 2026 was registered on 25.02.2026.
4. Heard either sides and carefully perused the materials available on record.
5. Considering the limited scope of relief sought for in this writ petition, without going into the merits of the FIR registered by the respondent police, this Court hereby directs the respondent police to preserve the CCTV footage, retrieve, secure and furnish copies of the same covering the period from 25.02.2026 to 26.02.2026 based on the petitioner's presentation dated 11/3/2026. Right to information is the fundamental right which is ensured by the Constitution and hence he is entitled for the information as sought for.
6. With the above direction, this Writ Petition is disposed of. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition stands closed.
11.06.2026
NCC : yes / no
Index : yes / no
pnn
